Want a Bite?
by LuckilyJinxed
Summary: Lucy Jenks, an ex-nurse at Arkham Asylum is roughing it out in the slums of Gotham city. Her world becomes topsie-turvy when she enters the lives of Caped Crusaders nemisis'. Is madness something she can cure or will she succumb to the temptation of Batman's greatest rival? (A little JokerxOC and JokerXHarley, But mosty about madness and what happens after "A really bad day...")
1. Scars

The little bubbles covered my body so gently. As I waded in my bath water I could hear their little popping sounds tickle my ears. For the first time all day, I was relaxing. My short inverted bob cut hair hung off the back of the tub. Its blue colors gave me a lot of stares from on lookers but I didn't mind. At least it was a break from the brown color it was before. Maybe you guessed by my obscure shaded blue hair that I am not in the professional world. I used to be, but alas... my mind often went back to those days when I had a secure job. When I worked along side my best friend for the greater good. Nurse Jenks. That was me. Lucy Jenks, the youngest nurse at Arkham Asylum. I was very much proud of my position because I earned it. Never did I imagine that I would be stripped of everything because of my greatest accomplishment.

I felt an icy tear glide down my cheek. Just one, that I quickly whipped away with my hand.

Knocking sounds exploded at the front door. Customers. I stood up from the tub carefully holding on to the sides as I stepped out. Not really caring that I lived in a wretched neighborhood, the only effort i made to looking presentable was to wrap myself in a fluffy white bathrobe. As I fastened the robe to my body, I observed wether or not the house was presentable. The furniture was clean in the living room and its neutral and red color scheme was looking nice. The kitchen still had a few leftover dishes from past meals but it wasn't bad and all of my clothes were put away from the course of the week's laundry. Not bad, but I am glad that I actually cleaned a little.

The front door had four locks that clicked as i released them and opened the door. Well three of the locks did, the last was a chain to let me see who I was dealing with tonight.

"Ms. Lucy! I think its time!" A very pregnant young teenage girl stood in the doorway clutching her protruded belly. I quickly undid the latch and helped carry her over to the bed. My bed, because I wasn't exactly funded enough to separate where I slept from where my patients were. I quickly grabbed two towels from the dresser and laid one under her and one over her to cover her and make her more comfortable.

"Alright, now if this is the real deal, this baby is a premie and needs a lot of care. when did your contractions begin." (She was only seven and a half months pregnant).

"About an hour ago." She looked down at me with big scared green eyes. I smiled, trying to comfort her.

"Did your water break?" I sighed

"Well ,uhh, no."

"Good news, It looks like you may not be having your baby today." She shot up with surprise.

"But I felt really... really bad aches." she curled her knees to her chest but was blocked by her belly. "I just want to get this baby out and to its parents." A tear rolled down her cheek. I brushed it away with my thumb.

"Don't worry, Shannon,Cramps are normal during pregnancy and the baby will come on its own time. You are so brave." Most girls her age would have gotten an abortion but she chose to stick it out to the end even if that meant her parents kicking her out till the baby was adopted. I have respect for this girl.

"You want to stay here for dinner so we can just make sure that you're okay?" It's actually regulation in typical hospitals for the patient to stay longer , but wording it his way makes it seem more like a girls night out than a surprise visit to the nurse. She smiled again, good she needs to smile. I helped her out of bed and we moved to the couch.

I had called in pizza and it just got here a few moments. At this point I was wearing my pajamas, long black sweat pants and a tight crop white shirt with a small bit of cash in hand to cover the cost. I unbolted the door again to see the underpaid pepperoni faced boy holding a very large cheese pizza in his hands.

"Your total will be $13.53." He held out his hand to receive the money, for some reason that always bugged me. It screamed I'm greedy. Never the less I gave him fifteen, a crappy tip but a tip none the less. Shannon and I ate the pizza watching comedy movies that I had from my small collection. It's good that she remembers to laugh. I wish she did it more often.

By one in the morning she had fallen asleep and I could tell by then she was going to be fine. She had been here for five hours and nothing had happened.

"Shannon, sweetie." Her eyes fluttered open. "It's time I take you home."

She smiled. "Okay."

I threw on a coat and helped the girl out of the door. She lived a short bus ride away, but I dare not let her walk through the streets of Gotham at night all alone she was in enough trouble as is to put up with the thugs that lurked in the shadows.

"So how is school going for you." I attempted to make idle chat on the bus to get my mind off of the nasty, hard, sticky seats.

"It's alright I guess, grades are good since I lost most of my friends. But on the bright side I figured out who my true friends were."

I gave her a weak smile. "Get good enough grades and you'l be their boss one day. Any idea what you want to be when you grow up?" The bus rolled up to its stop that was conveniently right in front of her apartment. "Do you got it from here? If I stop and get back on they'll make me pay again."

"I got it" She smiled as I helped her up. "By the way Lucy... I want to be a nurse." Those words hit me like a bullet. Shannon idolized me. I have made a difference to someone in this world and I could feel it. I treated her like a friend but I never considered how that must have felt to her during the time she needed it the most. "G-good night Shannon." I was at a lost for words and wether or not she replied was beyond me. I was like a machine going back home. Doing it because it was more programmed than actually thought out, to the point that I was not aware of the unexpected guest that waited for me. I unlocked the door with the old key and went back to the bathroom for another good soak. I usually don't do it more than once a day to avoid water bills but I was worth it. The steamy water filled the tub as I poured in the sweet purple liquid to complete my bubble bath. I stripped down and slowly eased my way into the water. It was hot at first but felt better as I got used to it. Just when I started to relax BAM! Two hands from behind grabbed my neck. I let out a quick gasp of fear as simultaneously all lights in the room shattered, and then I started to laugh. The adrenaline of being scared was too much for me, so I let it out in a different way than most.

"Lulu! What happened to your back, who did this to you!" The two small red and black gloved hands continued to try to pull me into a hug, though it was incredibly uncomfortable since i was wearing no clothing...

"Harley, its fine, really please pass me my robe." I wrapped up and faced her. She had seen better days. "Jeez, Harlz what did you do." My wet hands touched her arm where a deep gash had cut it. She had bruises all along her side as well.

"Awww, this is nothin. Mr. J and I were just trying to get some pretty things and the Big bad Bat had to swoop in and burst our fun.

"Is he here too." I nervously pulled my robe tighter to my body.

"Sure is, my Mister J wanted the best nurse in Gotham to be lookin' out for me after my little spill." She giggled. Of course he did. I didn't charge them. Harley was my best friend at Arkham when we were employed and I wanted no trouble with the mad clown. She grabbed my arm and drug me out of the bathroom, "Come on Lulu, Pudden is good with scars." I struggled but she caught me off guard.

"No, no, no, no, no, Joker cannot see this, I spoke too fast for it to sound right and before I knew it I was face to face with the clown prince... well more like chest to face since I am not tall.

Harley held me firmly in place. "Mister J, Look at what these bad people did to our Jinx." She spun me around and removed my robe to expose my back. I was able to hold enough of it up to cover the important parts but I still felt violated in my own home. His purple gloved hand traced down my spine at the gruesome scars. I felt pressure but I had lost most of the nerve endings on that part of my skin to feel the cool leather.

"Oh dear, seems like Jinx didn't bring her lucky horseshoe. So did you open one too many umbrellas indoors." Harley laughed.

"Good one Mister J."

I could feel his hand trailing too far down before he removed them. "Actually, I broke some glass, and my seven years turned into a life time." I pulled my robe up and went for my first aid kit. "Harley, I'm going to patch you up."

"Sounds A-Okay to me."

I went back into my room and shut the door so that I could get dressed first. The mirror in front of my bed showed me starring back at myself. I was looking pretty good for my self all things considered. I finally got that pesky pimple from a few days ago to go away and my hair dye was still looking rather great I might add. Then I decided to bite the bullet and removed my robe to see my self. I was thin and a bit muscular, good curves on the waist but I was sure that If I ever had to breast feed a child it might starve to death. I laughed a little as I remember how jealous I used to be of how big chested Harley was or at least how much attention she used to get from it. I Turned around to see my ugly side. Scars, scars every where along the length of my spine. I grimaced at its sight. The length ran from the nape of my neck to almost being in line with my waist. It was a sloppy job, obviously not done by a doctor and not stitched up by one either because the stitches should be to minimize the actually scar, not enhance and define it along the sides. I raked my brain, trying to remember the details of what had happened but I had suppressed that a long time ago and it wouldn't come back. Maybe in nightmares i could get a glimpse but then I would never remember the dream when I woke up.

Harley needed me so I put aside my starring and put on under garments and my jeans with a blue and white stripped shirt and walked out to her with my gear.

In the living room, Joker had moved to the sofa and was sitting there playing with his knife making a wise crack at Harley's expense, and being the naive woman she is she took it. I examined her arm as she sat on my kitchen table.

"Owie! It hurts."

"Well Harlz, I hate to tell you this but you need stitches." I opened my box as she began to flip out.

"Nn-o no no no I hate needles! You'd think living with Mister J I would be good with a little pain but I'm not."

Joker chimed in, come now Harley, with all the times Ive pricked you, this should be a synch." He started to laugh.

"Please Doc, there's gotta be another way." She whined in her nasally New York accent.

"well..." I looked at it again and bent her arm, that didn't bother the cut. "Its not a high tension area. How did you get this cut?"

She sat up straight. "You see, I was minding my own business trying to get out of a museum when I accidentally set off an alarm, then woosh! Bat man came crashing in and I cut my self on shattered glass from the Batman." she smiled but I knew with the way the joker chuckled, he was responsible for it by pushing her or something. "Clumsy little humpty dumpty here isn't she?"

I smiled as i started to clean the wound. "Fortunately, I'm better than all the kings horses and all the kings men." Harley hissed as I cleaned, but it looked better and better as I went. "Okay so since its a glass cut, I can give you something called skin glue instead." I pulled it out and began to apply it so that the skin closed and stopped bleeding.

"Ohhhh, Thanks Jinxy!" She seemed to relax a lot more as I grabbed the tube of skin glue and began to apply it to her wound.

"Once it dries right, that should be all there is to it." I looked over at the Joker and our eyes met for a split second before I broke it off. He gave me a nervous feel in the pit of my stomach, I just couldn't put my finger on it. It was good and Terrible. Though I think mostly terrifying.

I handed ointment over to Harley. Apply this at least twice a day. Three times If it necessary. Clean it well to avoid infection too. Cover it if you and Joker are going to do things with explosions. You don't want any dust sneaking in this." Harley Jumped down quite acrobatically. "Thanks Jinxy." She ran over and hugged the arm of the joker into her chest. His purple jacket almost didn't seem to wrinkle under her pressure.

"Good night to the both of you." I waved them good bye and smiled. Joker walked over to me and pinched my cheeks with his leather gloved hands. They squeaked in my ears as the leather rubbed from from his clinched fists.

"Uh, See you later sweet cheeks." He licked his lips on the corner of his mouth as he typically did and walked away, but his eyes never left mine. It was as if he was trying to send an evil message to me. I locked the door behind my guest and breathed heavily trying to release any tension that I had from their un expected encounter. I put pajamas back on and looked back longingly at my bath. At least I had gotten clean. I reached into the bubbles and pulled out a the stopper.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH" My heart skipped a beat as the entire tub shattered and flung around the bathroom creating so much irreparable damage as I threw the stopper across the room. It was long black hair with flesh at the bottom of it. Horrifying, like something out of a movie. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I frantically pulled my blue hair out of my eyes. The stopper was just a cork... This happened to me when I forgot my medication. I quickly grabbed my bottle of Prephenazine and pulled out my pills. Yes, one of my darker sides. I suffer from Undifferentiated Schizophrenia. I haven't always had it. It came to me after Arkham days, but other than that I cannot pin point a certain time. I hated how the pills made me feel. My mouth was dry and it made me gain weight though I never wanted to eat and headaches. But the thing I may have hated more than taking the pills was not taking them. I suffered from waking night terrors with out them and for some reason, things got violent. It is as if the world around me reacted to my emotion or rather my fear. I walked back into the bathroom. "...Shit.." The room was an absolute wreck. There were holes in the walls the tub was shattered. Water from broken pipes leaked all over the tile floors that also seemed to be missing bits that mixed in with the rest of the damaged area. I had become quite handy in fixing these things. "Alrighty folks, time to saddle up and get'er done." I pulled out my best cowboy accent I could. I don't know why, I was just feeling a bit of cowboy today.

It took thirty minutes and two rolls of tape to seal up everything. I had turned the water off early but I just wanted to make sure that nothing was going to spring a leak. It took another hour to sweep up all of the garbage that littered my floor. It was Almost four by the time I hit the sack and I was exhausted.

Bright lights shown in my eyes as I laid on a cold hard table. At least I think it was me. I had that strange feeling as if looking on what is happening from a distance. Almost an out of body experience. Men in masks. They surrounded me. I wanted to run or scream, but I couldn't. My lungs would not let me. They flipped me over and I started to panic. My heart rate increased and but the rate of my breathing did not. I needed more air but was refused it. I tried not to panic to slow my heart rate down so that I didn't need to breathe. It worked for a second. I watched as my limp form was flipped face down. The men in masks began to cut into my spine, sticking in metal electrodes on to nerve endings. My body spazzed when certain parts were hit. 'Stop, please stop. I'm not a bad person. I don't deserve this.' I tried to speak it, but nothing came out. "Stop".

I shot up in my bed, sweat forming on my brow. The bed room was just as trashed as the bathroom now. I had a nasty habit of leaving a trail where I went. Looks like it is about time to move again before the land lord discovers what I have done. I got up and checked my cell phone that was in the kitchen. 10:32. I slept a little later than I thought but at the same time I was entertaining and cleaning till four. I went back to the room and threw all of my belongings into my suitcase. I didn't think I would be able to close it but once I moved some stuff to the my back pack, it eventually fit.

Next up I went to one of the few contacts on my phone and hit call. I needed to move my things away as soon as possible.

Ring... As it echo in my ear I tried to really think what I was doing. Ring... Harley Lived with the Joker, and I couldn't bring Shannon there ever. Ring... on top of that, he was the one man in this world that frightened me.

"Hello?" The voice was groggy, she must have still been asleep.

"Harley Baby, I need a favor."

She Yawned, letting me know how sleepy she was. "Okay okay, what is it."

"Great! You see, I made a big mess and I need a new place to live since this could get me put away for destruction of property and failure to pay. I need the car to help me move out furniture."

"Okie Dokie Artichokie." She hung up and I knew she would be here soon. With the spare time I had, I decided to pack the more fragile things like vases and pictures in boxes. There were silly ones of Harley and I in our early days working together. We knew we we're going to be friends. There were a lot of my family. The one I was most fond of was one of me and my father. I was on a pony at my 10th Birthday party and he helped to bring it around our back yard. I was so foolish. I basically ran away from home, and now I am too ashamed to go back. Most people in Gotham don't even know that Dan and Mary Jenks exist. Not even Harley has met my parents. Thats good though... They would be too embarrassed to see me now. Lost in my thought, I didn't notice the rapping on the door until the woman called my name.

"Lucy, open up, I brought the car." I quickly put the fame down and covered it to let her in. She stood there in her short red dress pajamas. The ones she wore when she was trying to seduce the Joker. "Good morning blue. Good too see you're still in your Pj's too."

I was and had no shame. I loved being comfortable. "Thanks for coming out here. This won't take too long. I promise."

Harley was sweet enough to help me get my things in the car. She was even smart enough to attach a trailer hitch enough for moving things. The Entire back seat was packed and so was every space available in the addition. But in about two hours we were off.

"So where is home this time Harley." She giggled and threw her hand up in the air of the convertible car.

"You get to live with me and Puddin' and the babies!"

I smiled. I get to live with my best friend and her pet Hyenas forget the crazy boyfriend, I wasn't going to live alone and I couldn't be happier. Oh, wait.

"Hey, Harlz, I'm going to make a quick phone call, okay?" Her blond hair flipped behind her and even without her makeup she wore a smile.

"Sure thing Jinx."

I picked up my cell phone again and called Shannon. It gave me three rings and then an answering machine. "Hey, you've reached the mobil phone of Shannon Mills, sorry I can't make it to the phone right now. But please leave your message and I will call you back as soon as possible thank you."

I ducked down to avoid the earsplitting wind in the phone and left my message.

"Hey, Shannon its Nurse Lucy. I just wanted to let you know that a lot of problems went down in my apartment last night. NO NO Not with you. I mean the plumbing exploded and there is water every where. Anyway I had to move in with some friends. If you need me, call me because I'm afraid you won't be able to walk to me. Eat plenty of the Vitamins I gave you and exercise often. Chao!"

I hung up the phone and sunk back into my seat hands crossed behind my head.

"You and I are going to have so much fun!" I said through bit of laughter. I meant it too.

"You said it blue, We are going to have a blast as the new queens of crime."

I blinked a few times. I didn't want to be a villain. I just wanted to live with my friend, not become insane. Arkham Asylum already believes me to have been top list cray-cray. They let me out for good behavior, but one slip up and I will be back. Maybe I was crazy. I can't even remember how it was I was there or what happened to me during my time there. Maybe its because of the pills. "Oh, wait." I reached into my pocket where I had put my medicine. "Time for another round." I swallowed the pills and one got stuck. I started to cough and Harley held out her bottle of coke with a little straw in it.

"Here you go. This will help ya." I nodded to her and said a raspy thanks before sinking into another coughing fit. I drank it gladly even if it was a little flat and handed it back to her. "Sorry about that. I almost forgot my medicine... Even if my medicine makes me forget me." She Put her arm around me in a playful way.

"Awww cheer up Blue. You and I are going to make so many fun memories together! YAHOO!"

We had a bunch of fun small talk on the way to our destination and once we pulled up I could not have been anymore underwhelmed by the building. It was an abandoned warehouse just as I had imagined in the deepest part of the slums of Gotham. Not even the police force would venture to these parts and the ones that did were corrupt. I knew that as well as anyone. This is where I came when I left Arkham so that people could forget about me, and with the Joker doing what he does, like murder and robbery It didn't take long for me to surface to the safer upper slums.

The car parked out back and I grabbed a carry on to bring inside. Harley opened the back side door and called into the dark warehouse. "Puddin, Company!"

I could hear Hyenas laughing and other than that it was quiet. They sounded precious.

Harley walked up some stairs "This way, they're four bed rooms up here but, only Mister J and I use two of them. (Sometimes one)" I caught that last part in a whisper but she didn't notice. She just continued. "You'll be in this room right next to mine. She opened the door and it was pretty plain, big but nothing special. Grey walls grey floors a bathroom in the back that was just as plain as the bed room. The light fixture had those awful fluorescent bulbs that give people headaches after too long. I knew I had my work cut out for me.

"this is Lovely Harley! I can't wait to get started." I threw my back pack on the table which was the only piece of furniture in the room. "I'll unload by myself if you have some where to go. I just needed to leave fast. The Land Lord would have killed me and I'm pretty sure they were involved with the mob. ."

Harley gave me a thumbs up. "Sure thing. Puddin and I were going to go get somethings today and I really need to go with him."

I started to walk past Harley. "Hey any chance I could borrow the car to go get some things?"

Harley was about to go back to her room when she stopped at the door. "Sure thing. I think Mister J and I are going to use the van tonight." She closed the door and I could hear her singing "la la la la." in the background.

The bed was probably the heaviest thing to pull up the stairs. Occasionally in the middle of my heavy lifting, a fire would light in me and it felt as if the furniture was pushing itself. I pulled my sweaty blue hair out of my face and sat in an old wooden chair panting a bit trying to cool down. Good thing I had changed into working clothes. "Okay, to the Home improvement store." Harley left the keys on the hook sown stairs, I grabbed it and drove full speed to the store. It felt amazing to be able to be free to drive. I pulled up at the stop light next to some jerks that felt the best way to get my attention was to whistle at me like you would a dog. I Pulled my sunglasses down to stare at them from the top of glasses and made kissey faces at them. This got them going and one of them was about to get out of the car. The light was still red but I saw an opening. As I screeched off, tires blazing, and shot them the hand signal of the peeved off. They didn't dare follow me through the traffic.

I had all of my things I needed. Paint, floor stick ons to make things look real when its not, furniture coverings, and tape and I even splurged on a nice, red, brown and gold carpet. I won't be able to splurge again for a while but I don't intend to move for a while.

Back in my room, all of the furniture was covered in a tarp and I was painting the walls a beautiful red sparkling color and the celling and crown, floor lining with gold. All of the wall decorations were gold as well with a bit of tarnish and I just had to wait for the paint to dry to put anything on the walls. by 1 o'clock in the morning I sat in the main area reading a book. "The Picture of Dorian grey." I had read it before but I wanted to read it again. It's story spoke to me, about how eventually everyone had to face their own sins no matter who they were and where they came from.

I heard a van pull up into a screeching halt. "Daddy's home." I Said mechanically without realizing the words slipped from my mouth. I could hear Harley trying to defend herself from outside "But Puddin' I swear it wasn't my fault' I had it and the the Batman got me."-

"No Harley! Quiet, thats the thing, you don't listen. Its like you are all mouth and not enough ears. When I say put it back, you put it back."

"OW, Ow ow."

I'm assuming that he grabbed her ears and pulled hard as I heard my friend whimper. I Threw the book down and opened the door open to the outside. I saw the broad back of the man in the purple suite and just around him, the red and black Jester. She and I made eye contact but she waved me off motioning me not to get involved. The Joker noticed this and turned to face me.

"Why, uh Hello there." He used his knife to pull his hair back as if he was flirting. "Tell me, Beautiful, What happens if you don't listen to your patients." Harley looked defeated and hurt that he would call me beautiful. I looked down at my feet, I didn't want to answer. I just wanted him to leave her alone. His leather gloves squeaked when he grabbed my chin " Look at me!" his voice dropped low and menacing voice and I was afraid. He grinned his sickly yellow smile, and from that point my eyes never left his. My soul dropped, at first he was normal joker and then it almost seemed as if his flesh was falling off. My eyes widened with fear as my hands instinctively reached out to hold his face together. I could feel the flesh falling off and sliding through my fingers starting at his scared cheeks. "aahh-ahh." Small gasps escaped my lips as I watched the horror. The lights outside began to shatter and the guns that the lackys were holding went off, three oh them were shot by rapid firing bursts. I looked around, my world was falling apart. It seemed as is snakes were crawling out of the bullet holes of the men and they were grabbing them by the head in attemps to keep the snakes from getting them. I slipped to the floor. Jokers flesh coming down in my hands as they trailed down his body. Trails of blood where I touched. I laughed. I couldn't believe this was my reality. The stench of death filled my noes as I looked at Harley for help. Her face distorted as she walked past me. I held on to the Jokers vest laughing and hiding my face into his pant leg. The smell of gasoline I was hoping would drown out the visions and his purple coat blocked out the world around me. I couldn't help but laugh, trying to tell my self everything was okay. Tears streamed down my face that I'm sure was blood but forget it. I felt hands on my face pushing cockroaches down my throat. 'Oh God.' I gagged but the hands basically pushed it down. and with that everything went black.

I was Back at Arkham, In my cell faced down on a ridiculously thin mat. So much pain. I wasn't wearing a shirt but had gauze and blankets all over me. So much pain I couldn't move. My head was turned so I could see out of my cell. Not many people came to where I was. Only the low of the low seemed to be down here. I don't belong here. I'm not crazy. I could tell a lot of time was passing. It was as If I was watching the sun rise and set. It had been weeks maybe even over a month. I was beginning to move. My muscles had atrophied from the time and I was as useful as a rag doll. My hair was longer, and shaggier with a dark brown color instead of my fun blue. I weighed close to nothing. I looked like death or somewhere in between. Poor me. I tried to walk, only to fall. "Silly girl, you can't start walking until you have learned to crawl." I was talking to myself. But at least I listened to my own advise. My hands gripped the door of my cell and pulled myself up to a standing position. And there he was. I was face to face with the Harlequin of hate. He was back in Arkham being escorted to a lower cell. "Well, well, well, a little behind bars. I didn't know I was going to the zoo, nurse. he he he he he!" His laughter rang through my ears.

I woke up in a different room than mine. Themed red and black with little Jesters everywhere. This was Harley's room no doubt. I sat up realizing I was already dressed in Pajamas. An oversized blue and white stripped tee-shirt and little black shorts. I had to pull up the shirt to check because the shirt made it look like I wasn't wearing anything. I checked a clock that was on the wall. 5:28 in the morning no doubt. I walked down the metal stairs mentally kicking myself last night for forgetting to take my medicine. I had to have a break down on the Joker himself, and "Oh, no." I thought about the men that were shot last night. I had hurt people again. At least I was here now, and if anyone was hurt, they were criminals and not innocent people. I went back for my book but it wasn't there. Must have been picked up by Harley. Time for water. The Medicine made me so thirsty I could barely stand it. I licked my lips and it felt like cotton in my mouth. The Kitchen wasn't much of a kitchen. It was a back corner of a room with a fridge, metal sink, oven with stove top and a few cabinets. The Sink had no dishes in it, looks like Harley was cleaner than I was. All the glasses were piled in the cabinets and I helped myself to one and filled it with dirty water from the sink. Oh, well better brown water than no water. It felt so good down my throat . MORE! My mind screamed it as I put the empty glass down and swallowed the pills that I actually remembered, and put my head in the running sink. My mouth opened to let in the water. I drank as half of it went down my face mixing in my blue hair. I could feel my mouth become less dry, but my thirst wasn't quenched after so long. It was pointless. It was maddening. This was what it was like to have to take darn psychological medicine.

"Dries you like a desert, uh, doesn't it beautiful." The Joker stood there in his Shirt and vest. His log sleeves were rolled up exposing his forearms that were crossed over his chest.

"With not even a hint of oasis." He chuckled. Water streamed down my cheek and onto my shirt. I realized my breaths were heavy as I had focused so much on water I forgot to breathe. "J-Joker." I tried to speak firmly but it just came out exasperated. He licked at his lips.

"Yes?" He leaned against the door frame.

"For earlier... I'm sorry."

"Shh shh shh shh." He came over and pinched my cheeks again. This time he was not wearing his gloves. I could feel his rough skin against my face as he looked at me with cold black eyes. (They were really brown but they felt as harsh and devoid of life.) "Listen. I know you've had a really bad day once." He licked the corner of his mouth. "As have I. We're not so different you and me. Just trying to get through a... really... bad... day." He walked away leaving me there to think about what he had said. There was no way he and I were similar. I helped people get better, he took their lives. The only thing we may have had in common is dry mouth. I got to thinking though. what was my bad day? I raked my brain and It must have been some time at Arkham that i just cat put my finger on.

"Wait, Joker!" I went after him to see him sitting on his large chair with a Hyena on each side. His bare hand rested on the head of one and the other held open a book. My book 'The Picture of Dorian Grey.'

"You know. I think I will get a Portrait of my self done. What do you think?" He outlined his face with the corner of the book. "I would look good painted over a fireplace. Nice velvet suit maybe even a pipe. What do you say?"

I chuckled "Read the ending."

"Pfft. You're right too over used. I'd lay on a lion's pelt" He threw the book behind him causing the Hyenas to stir. "So, couldn't get enough of me could you." He licked his mouth and looked up at me.

"What do you know about my bad day?" He burst into laughter.

"They really got you good didn't they." He stood up "You, you really don't remember a thing. Hahahaha Hehehehe Hohoho." He approached me as if he was going to give me a proposal. "Here is the deal... I will not tell you what had happened.-"

"Because jokes can't be explained..."

He wagged his finger in my face with a smile. "Nothing gets past you. But I will- I will tell you this. What they did to you... They made you what you are. " He smacked his lips again. "Bad things happen when you are afraid and then someone did the unthinkable and made you afraid of the world."

I stood there in silence. He was scary if you didn't know how to handle him, but that didn't mean that he still wasn't violent. The joker must have two eyes on him at all times. These people, I am sure were still at Arkham and If they were willing to scar me they they would scar others as well. This was a matter saving other people, It had to be about that and not revenge. I looked up at the Joker, "Will you help me?"

He smirked down at me. Only natural though he was about 6'2" and I was about 5'3". "Will I help you? What are the magic words?"

He was going to squeeze every and anything out of me. "Please help me Joker. You are the only one that can help me get answers."

He laughed like a mad man. "Now we are cooking with grease. But If you want my help, you bend like a tree to my rules." He stood up and seemed to be almost dancing. It was too late for me to notice that he was indeed when he grabbed my waist and pretended to formally dance with me. "This is going to be a ball. Hahahaha."

"W-whats all the noise." It was the New York accented Jester waking up from our noise.

"Oh Harley Dear, Come celebrate a new beginning." He grinned at her and she tried to smile but I could tell she was more concerned with who was close to her Joker. He stopped spinning me and face her laughing. "Well my dear, I am going to work on a little project . Tah-Tah." He walked off to his work room or what I am assuming is such. Harley came down stairs looking at me.

"What was that?" She wasn't too miffed because she knew I didn't want anything to do with the Joker but I don't blame her for wanting answers.

"I said I would help both of you out, in exchange for you helping me get my memories back."

Harley sighed in relief. "Good, you're telling the truth. Do you want breakfast?"

She was still good enough to know wether or not people were lying to her from her Psychiatrist days. That scares me a bit, but as long as you tell the truth, she trusts you.

"I'm actually not hungry right now. I just had my pills." Which I was storing in my pocket for good measure now.

I decided to help her cook anyway. I mean I'm sure she wanted to cook for the Joker so I might as well make her food. I mean, I was obsessed with my sickness, trying to figure out what caused it. Her sickness was her obsession. She would starve her self if she had to for The Joker's approval. The eggs and bacon sizzled on the pan as I stirred it around. I was making her an omelet and she was making bacon, sunny-side up eggs and sausage links all for him. My mind wondered to nerve racking places. 'What would the Joker have me do or worse, what would I become?' I wanted answers but I also wanted to be me. Not someone that deserved Arkham.

"I'll be right back Blue, I'm just going to give this to Mister J." she walked off with the plate of food while put her breakfast on a plat. I sat down with it at the table with a cup of hot coco in my other hand. It wasn't cold outside, it was actually rounding the end of summer but I couldn't resist the temptation of chocolate.

She came back, luckily not wearing her gift and sat down. I passed her the omelet which she accepted with delight.

"Awww thank you. You're the greatest." She smiled between bites and twirled her fork through her dish. "You know, maybe Mister J would be more excited about my cooking If I cooked like you did." She seemed defeated. I didn't like the way Joker made Harley feel sometimes. If she was happy, it was because she was obsessed and when she was sad, she was genuinely hurt.

"Don't say that! This place would fall apart with out you and Joker knows it! Who would feed the babies, wash, do laundry and keep this whole thing running smoothly." I pointed at her. "You Harley." She laughed happily.

"You know you're right." She finished her meal and stood up. "Come on Blue, lets go feed the babies." She went into the fridge and pulled out meat scrapings from pretty much anything and put it into a bowl.

"Yippie! I missed the babies."


	2. Home Sweet Home

The creatures laughed and jumped for joy when they saw Harley. "Morning babies" She almost sang. They came up and sniffed at her. They Knew better than to bite the hand that feeds them. Naturally they growled at me. "Here Blue feed both of them this." She handed me two fat strips of meat. The raw flesh felt so gooey in my hands and the Hyenas jumped around a little nuts. They jumped over to me and I pushed the meat in their mouths. They laughed and then strode over to Harley. She made sure I was feeding them as much as she was though so they would like me again. They didn't remember me from previous visits. Sure enough. By the end we were both on the floor laughing and cuddling with the Hyenas. "Oh, Harley! I have a question for you."

She smiled back at me her blond hair getting messy. "Lay it on me!"

"Okay, the men last night. No one died right?"

She pointed her index finger at her temple and looked away as if lost in thought. "Nope, Not at all. They're callin' in sick today but all is well. "

A deep sigh escaped my lips. I had not realized how much that thought was weighing me down.

My room was looking beautiful. It took a while of decorating but you know what it was all worth it. I Looked around at the finished work, in my red stained white tank top, shredded blue jeans, and big gloves. I sat at the foot of the bed admiring my work when a knock came at the door.

"Hey Blue! Mista J came out of his study and he's got a plan. Suit up." She smiled in her jester outfit and makeup.

"W-what?" I stuttered. I didn't know I was going to be helping out so soon, Neither did I have anything to wear. "What are we doing, What do I wear?" I was apposed to the idea of committing and even If Harley and I were best friends, I didn't want people seeing up together as criminals. I couldn't take any chance of being sent back to Arkham.

"Wear what you want. You've got 10 minutes to get looking beautiful. Okay. See you down stairs."

When she shut the door I started to look over my nicely put away clothes. My first question was 'What will hide my appearance and save my identity from what ever the Joker has planned.

I pulled out all of my hoodies out and laid them on my bed. "This one looks good." It was a dark purple knitted Jacket with a rather huge hood. It would serve it purpose well. I decided my red painted white tank top and ripped jeans would do well for now as I threw on my hooded jacket. The sleeves were big as well but they only went halfway down the arm giving me room to hide things like... Jeez, Batman has a utility belt, Harley has a hammer, Joker has his gags and I have a hood. I looked at my self in the mirror that was attached to the door of the closet. The Jacket did look nice to my look as it buttoned once at my chest and then flared out almost as a cape would and the rest was average.

"Oh!" A little Porcelain object caught my eye from the top shelf of the closet. I grabbed it and looked into its void eyes. It was an old mask my mother gave me for a my prom night. The theme was Masquerade and everyone had to show up in masks. Mine was out of place because it covered my entire face. That wasn't my fault though. My date opened the door on my face the day before leaving me with an ugly shiner across my nose and cheek.

It was starting to chip a bit from age but it was till beautiful. Tiny red lips, a cute smooth nose and high cheek bones just like mine. The eyes looked like they had purple eye shadow on them, heavy at the lids and light towards the brow. Black liner made the eye holes look sharp seductive and silent. The eerie word to describe the face was silent. The black ribbon with the black runny cheek marks added to the overall dark appeal.

"You are perfect." I tied, the mask around my face and pulled the hood up. It looked wonderful. Eerily beautiful. That was the look I was going for.

I didn't think I would need it but I could help but grab my scalpels. They were cheaper ones made of Obsidian. Really neat because they cut a lot better and a lot more clean but they broke easier.

I had taken my pills for the night and was set waiting down stairs for the other two while I carved a line into the doorframe. It formed so smoothly and felt wonderful in my hands. I smiled behind my mask.

"Lets have a look at you!" I turned around and saw him. Sauntering in his purple coat, iconic makeup and those scars. The scars made him seem like he was always smiling, laughing at the misfortune of others.

He circled me eyeing me down. "Yes... oh yes.. This is... beautiful." He grabbed my scalpel from my hand and drug his gloved finger over the sharp edge and it slit it.

"Ho ho, now this is my kind of toy." He handed it back to me. Which I took silently. I decided that would be my mark. Silent as the face of my mask.

The Joker brought his face dangerously close to mine"You and me. We're uh going to have a lot of fun."

"Almost ready puddin." Harley came struggling down stairs with a bag of bullets and a mallet. He didn't seem to respond well to her. More irked than anything. She managed to stand in between the small available space between me and the Clown Prince. I could tell she was being territorial. "You look so cute Jinx! What should we call you?"

I Shrugged my shoulders. Honestly, I had given it no thought at all. I wish I had because I thought Jinx was enough. Apparently not.

"Alright Doll Face, we got places to be." Joker licked his lips and started walking out the door. Harley close at his heels. "Good one Mista J."

Doll Face. Thats not a bad name. It could be way worse. I exited the warehouse to see a group of men 5 all wearing clown masks hopping into the van front of the van. Joker went with Harley into the back where I decided I should go too.

"Hey, watch your driving up there, you're going to make me sick!" Harley screamed in the back. The last screeching jolt had sent both of us flying to the opposite side of the van. Joker sat there jostled a bit but didn't seemed phased by the commotion just the occasional laugh under his breath. We had only been in the car for 25 minutes but by now I was caught up with the plan and had the attention of the lackeys.

So what was supposed to happen soon was a bank heist. Joker and Harley were short on cash especially since their museum robbery failure.

"Hey boss, I'm just asking cuz' its on everyone's mind but whats with the new squeeze?" Everyones head turned to the guy speaking in the front. I was glaring holes into the back of his head. I watched the Joker start to fiddle with something in his jacket as he licked his lip. The new thug continued to speak "Yeah, I mean you Got Jester girl, why not give us the new one."

Bang!

My anger erupted with the shot of a bullet. The Clown prince was the one pointing the smoking pistol towards the now screaming thug. But something was off about that. He looked startled and I watched him almost jump out of his skin when the gun fired. The bullet exited out the windshield leaving a spiderwebbed blood stained hole to serve as a reminder to the other men not to speak out of line.

I looked at Harley who had already started trying to push the wounded man out of the moving car as the four just tried to ignore her. The Joker on the other hand was staring at the gun as if it the first time he had opened a Jack-in-the-box. His hand was never on the trigger. That was what happened. The gun fired on its own. Or did I do it. I was so angry that I wanted him hurt and then it happened. This thing had happened when I was in a fighting mood or frightened out of my mind, Like with the bathroom and my bedroom. There were even a few times when people would make me upset and then bad things would happen to them. The man fell wit a thud outside of the moving vehicle. Luckily his driving buddy slowed for him.

"Alright now If any one'a ya's get the idea that you can get your grubby hands on Doll face and you'll deal with Mista J, got that."

They responded immediately "Yes ma'am."

Joker spoke to Harley but faced direct at me. "Way to handle it pumpkin.'"

She jumped right next to him on the cold hard ground Throwing her arms around his neck.

"Awww, Thanks Puddin".

The civilians were on the floor covering their heads as I walked around them clutching on to my obsidian scalpels. I only did that to look intimidating to them so they would think I am larger than 5'3". Harley and Joker were focusing their efforts on one vault in particular. Apparently it belongs to a Man at Arkham with close connections to the mob, Jeremiah Arkham in fact. Others knew him as Black mask. It was dirty money to begin with so, even though It was stealing, I didn't protest. Two more of the men that came with us were killed by a bank teller wielding a shotgun but the joker quickly put him down. Not dead, but bleeding out in the corner with a couple of bullet holes in his leg and stomach. Under a pristine work desk I could hear soft sobs. I walked over to it tilting my head to get a better view. The darn mask did a wonderful job blocking my sight. There he was. A small boy clutching onto his puppy doll. Hiding from the bad people. My heart broke for him. I put my finger up to my lips to shush him so he wouldn't draw more attention to himself, but my reaction I received was utter terror. Poor kid.

"Doll Face, come help us with the loot!" Harley called trying to carry two loaded bags at once. I turned to face her but not before I caught a blue light out of the corner of my eye. The Police were lining the building and the cars were silently sending out their flashers so that they could surround.

'Darn it! Who ever was in charge of the alarm failed miserably.' I quickly ran to the desk where the boy was hiding and pushed it in front of the door. He quickly crawled over to a woman lying on her stomach which I am assuming was his mother by the way she threw herself on top of him.

The Bank Teller stared at me with hate filled eyes as I approached him. "You are the scum of the earth." He the proceeded to spit at my boots. I wagged my finger at him but didn't retaliate because he was right. I was having all sorts of horrible feelings today. I grabbed the shot gun on the ground and walked over to the door. The cops outside were scrambling into position. Fortunately for me the outside windows had a reflective sheen to it making this more of a one way mirror. I could see them, they couldn't see me.

"Come on blue!" Harley whined at me as, I could have sworn, the joker hummed a little tune to himself. I shoved the shot gun into the slot of the door handles giving us more time to work then quickly ran to get a bag.

It was a race to the finish for the four of us to clear out the account before the cops got through the barricade.

The bags were heavy. I felt like a mule going from the vault to the van. There was so much money and not even a sign of the batman. The police must have not turned on the bat signal for this.

"Is that the last of them boss!" A lackey in the driver's seat called back.

The Joker threw his bag into the back. "One more party favor and we're ready to go." She's on her way now. With that I emerged from the bank holding the last heavy load.

"Hey, you" Bang. A shot narrowly missed my head. I looked back where the bullet came from and there hobbled the bleeding bank teller. This time with a pistol that one of the dead clowns dropped. I could feel my heart beating in my ears as he pointed it at my head again. Dropping the bag, I put my hands out at my side to kind of surrender but mostly to look at my surroundings. Maybe what happened in the bathroom would happen again now. Geez I wish at this point my pills would wear off.

The Joker rounded he gun on the man again and, Click! No bullets. "Harley, Pass me another magazine!"

"Sorry, Mista J, we're out. Bullets are expensive."

He threw his gun down in frustration, "Didn't I tell you to go get some more for this reason?"

She yelled back "What was I supposed to do take the bullets, shoot the worker, then drive off."

Joker nodded smiling.

"Now you tell me!" she frowned.

"I'll shoot, clowns, Don't think I won't!." He pulled back on the hammer and I heard it click. I was panicking. Find something! Aha. Above his head was construction materials. This man was going to take my life after I had spared everyone! In fact made sure everyone was out of Joker's way so he wouldn't want to kill them. My fear went from terror to absolutely pissed. There was a loose Steele I- Beam hanging out. Maybe If I focus my anger. The beam started to shift. The Bank Teller Hobbled closer to me.

"I will not miss this time." His finger covered the trigger tightly. I braced myself to jump away. Even If the beam did fall his first reaction will be to squeeze out of fright. The Beam shot out at the bleeding man.

"AHHHHHH!" The gun fired.

"Haurgggh." I gasped as the bullet Impacted my arm. It hurt. It hurt so bad, I just wanted to scream but I was in so much shock Nothing came out. I couldn't even fall down. My eyes glanced up at the man. Or rather his body. The Beam crushed him horribly. Blood splattered around him and all over me. He was going to kill me. As much as I was against this, it was self defense.

"Looks Like Doll face is our new little show stopper HAHAHAHA." The Joker cackled loading the last bag into the van.

I walked over to the vehical in a haze. I'm glad the mask hid my expression. I crossed my arms so I could grab the wound and not look awkward. I could feel the flesh and an exit wound and it didn't make contact with the bone so It would be easier to care for when we get back but it hurt.

Neither of them noticed. I decided it would be best if I didn't draw attention to the fact I was hurting, there was nothing they could do about it anyway. As I sat in the back, ducking my head into my chest, holding on to the wound for dear life I tried to distract myself from the pain by thinking of all of the little nursery rhymes my mother used to think of me. "Mary Mary quite contrary, How does your garden grow?"

"With silver bells and, cockle shells, And pretty maids all in a row." The Joker Cackled the entire ending of the rhyme from the passenger seat, apparently I was singing out loud. I didn't mean to. Maybe that meant I was going delusional from the pain. I laughed under the pressure and pain. Harley was sitting in front of me looking, she could tell something was up with my voice.

"It's okay Doll Face, he needed to die. He was ganna blow your brains out." She acted it out with her fingers just to put emphasis on it.

The blood was soaking into my shirt but because of its knitted dark quality, It absorbed and didn't show much but I was feeling it now. My head began to fog up as time went by. We needed to get back fast.

The goon driving slammed on brakes and skid sending me slamming into the back of the Driver's seat.

My wound made impact and I screamed. A bolt of unbearable pain shot up as tears that I was trying to hold back came flooding out. Harley, who had also been flung into the back of the Joker's seat, leaped over to me. I pushed myself up with my good arm (Which fortunate was my right) and clutched the wound again hissing as I tried to stop the bleeding again. I couldn't hide it anymore.

"Oh, No! What did he do to you." Harley undid my jacket and threw off the left sleeve. The wound was much larger than I thought, In fact the entire sleeve was drenched in my blood and so was half of my white tank top.

I panicked thinking how all of that blood was mine, and like I do every time I panic, I laughed. I laughed like a mad man, Like a joker, as tears streamed down both cheeks.

"Oops, He nicked me, kiss it Harley, make it better. Hahahahaha." I couldn't control myself. Anything to get my mind off the pain. Joker laughed from the front seat at my remark, As we finally arrived back home. I struggled out of the car, Harley tried to help but I was running in such an uneven fit for my room and gear that she couldn't catch me. I made it up the stairs tripping a bit but managed to pull myself together enough to slam to door and get to work.

The cleaning was almost unbearable. I sat in my bathroom with practically half of my body under the sink rinsing out the wound. Blood mixed with the water to make a nice pink before it went down the drain. I just needed to prevent infection now by getting water and cleaners over it.

"Hey Blue? How are you feeling?" Harley came into the bathroom, a look of concern in her eye.

"A-Okay Harley." I was doing a bit better. Apparently the Hysteria was from shock and not lack of blood. Lucky me.

I pulled my self out of the sink and cleaned my wound the rest of the way with some disinfectants and then put heavy gauze on it and wrapped it up. I wanted to give it some time to see if any puss or bad stuff was in it before I sealed it up. Then I made a simple sling to keep my arm still. "Now to finish it up with a little shot." I injected my shoulder with a pre-made injection to numb the pain. It would make me feel dizzy but at least better than pain.

"Yuck, I hate needles." Harley protested.

"Ehh, you get used to it."

She sighed and sat on the toilet seat cover "I am so glad you are okay. I'm sorry your first time out was a doozie."

I Smiled at her walking out "It's okay, It could have been a lot worse than this. I can fix something like this. You want to go get food, It can be a girl's night?" "Yippie, I'm starved!" She and I walked down stairs with me and every step we took brought us closer and closer to the sound of the laughing mad clown. He came spinning out in a chair throwing money around him into the air.

"Nothing screams party like a handful of confetti." he pulled out two guns "and fire works!" He pulled the triggers only to have two small red 'BANG' flags pop out of each one. He smiled facing me. "So how, uh, was that for a cherry popper, Jinxy?" He sat back in the chair and folded his arms behind his head, legs spread open.

I looked at my bandaged arm. "I guess, first time isn't always the most satisfying..."

"It'll feel much more enjoyable as time goes on." He licked his lips and smirked up at me, laughing. Again it was that look. Just like the one he gave me in the kitchen two nights ago. Harley picked up a bit of cash from the ground.

"Mista J, Jinx and I are going to eat. can we bring you something?" She knew it would be pointless to try to get him to tag along but she wanted to a least see If she could be at least helpful to him.

"I want bat, can you do that Harley? get me bat wings!"

She smiled nervously "Sure thing puddin."


	3. No rest for the weary

4 AM was not an easy time to find a place to eat but we managed to find a cheap burger diner that was open 24-7. We weren't the only ones there. There were a few teenager that were suffering from the munchies and a few cops eyeing them from across the room deciding wether or not they could act.

I took my pills again and had our waitress busy with my water refills. I liked having some one else get it for me, It had been so long since I had eaten out. Harley was eating a burger and thin little fries with a big shake. She managed to get ketchup on her cheek. I had a salad and an oreo shake. I wasn't too hungry but I knew it was long past time for me to eat. But in all fairness the salad wasn't a god idea with a bummed arm.

"Let me tell you Harley, this is the first time I have eaten out in a while! I think the last time was with you."

She swallowed her bite. "Gosh I didn't realize how long ago that was." We need to get better about girl time."

I took a sip of my shake. "Well, you have to Make sure Joe, is happy first and I totally get that." We called the Joker 'Joe' in public, Joseph Kurr, who technically was a real person because his persona was the name that we paid the bills under so that we had power and water. Harley giggled and smiled.

"See this is why you and I can be such good friends, because you get it! Here here for Lucy!" She stood up with her glass in the air to which the stoners cheered. "I mean, really, can I ever thank you enough for what you did for me and Mista J. You're the reason we were able to escape Arkham."

Thats right I was. I remember holding the gun at my dear friend. She was helping the Joker escape but neither of them could break the reinforced windows separating them from Gotham. I had the Doctors behind me and a choice in front of me. I made it look like an accident that I missed and shattered the window, but it wasn't and both she and the Joker knew it. I remember nothing after that moment besides the occasional dream, but other than that nothing.

"Hey, you would have done the exact same for me, I'm sure."

"Trust me, I will! Oh, by the way do you have any fun nursing stories to share with me?"

I thought about it as we ate for a bit. "Hmm well there is Dino McCowel. He is an old mobster whom I have been caring for due to his age. Jesse Wheeler, A young man in deep with the wrong people that I have been fixing up from brawls and lacerations. A few basic people that can't show their face in a hospital. Oh and a young girl named Shannon who got knocked up and I am helping through her pregnancy as a Midwife, or at least as best as I can."

She sighed dreamily. Something tells me that she is fantasizing about her pregnancy with the Joker's baby and me being her midwife. "Sounds beautiful, Lucy."

Harley had a bag of chicken wings for the Joker. It wasn't quite bat wings, but I helped Harley come up with a line that will make him happy to get it. So I decided to wait for her upstairs so I could listen to her try it out.

"Here you go Puddin. I'm so sorry, I asked the lady for batwings and she gave me chicken wings. I'm not sure I'f I should be mad that she got your order wrong, or laugh that it sounds right."

The Joker Laughed at her remark. "Chicken indeed. Good night sweet heart."

He kissed her cheek took the food and went up to his room passing me on the way. "Good night beautiful." he smirked and closed himself in his room and I could have sworn I heard a lock click.

Harley emerged on could nine, singing a little la la tune to herself. Do I think The joker meant anything by kissing her on the cheek? Not at all, but if it keeps her around to work for him another day, I'm sure he would be willing to throw out a kiss on the cheek every now and then.

"Good night Jinxy I had so much fun tonight lets do it again.~" Harley danced her way through the doors and closed it for the night or what was left of it.

I woke up with blood shot eyes to a phone ringing. My cell phone. The name Shannon lit up across the front of it. "Hello"? , my groggy voice sleepily dripped into the phone.

"LUCY, MY WATER BROKE!" She was crying. I could hear it plain as day. Quickly, threw myself out of bed tripping as I went down the stairs.

"Shit!" I quickly U-turned it back for equipment and a thick wad of cash Then literally threw my self back to the car outside. "Damn it!" The keys were inside again. I was just not thinking because I was tired. Usually I don't panic but I wasn't ready for this and neither was she. I eventually made it back to the car with keys jingling fumbling them into the ignition with my one good hand and cranked it to a roar. I raced in reverse to the main road, dust from the area flew up all around me as I took on the 6 am Gotham traffic.

"Out of my way!" I was stopping for no one as I ran red lights and cut off everyone. I was just glad that most of the cops here were just as bad as the crooks and didn't mess with me. After 10 minutes of this speeding I skid into a parking spot outside of the girls apartment and jumped out of the car, only to leave the supplies in the car again.

"Shannon, I'm here!" I yelled as I burst through the door. I had gone back for the supplies and ran back to her room. It was real this time. The baby was coming about a month and a half early.

"Lucy! I'm in the bathroom!" She was crying a bit. I could tell she was scared. She was waiting in the bathroom in warm water trying to keep calm.

I sat next to her, she looked to be too uncomfortable too early on and the baby was early. She needed more than a midwife being so young.

"Shannon. I think it would be best if I take you to the hospital."

"I know Lucy, but I can't afford it!" I grabbed her arm and began helping he out.

"I can! Please come with me." The Joker let me take a cut of the money from the bank. In comparison, It wasn't as much as he and Harley got but It would cover the job. Shannon let me help her out of the tub and I helped her walk down to the car. Fortunately the summer air kept it from being uncomfortable as she sat in the convertible.

I was sure to drive carefully this time to the hospital.  
"Remember the Breathing exercises we practiced?" She immediately started to do them as she nodded. "Okay, we're almost there." I pulled into a spot at the hospital that was close to the Maternity ward.

"Alright, lets go." Shannon leaned her weight on me as we hobbled into the doors. "We need a doctor!" I yelled through the door. I could probably have helped her at home but she was a high risk pregnancy patient and needs a more stable location. Nurses came around and sat her in a wheel chair to bring her away. I wasn't related to her so I couldn't go back with her but I knew she would be okay.

It had been six hours since she was admitted into the hospital and I sat by myself in the lobby of the main building where all types of patients waited. I'll be the first to admit that I slept in a chair for the whole six hours, probably drooling too based on the crusty part on the tip of my hair.

There were sick people all around me, some with broken bones, some that needed things put in some that needed things removed. The closest person next to me was a young boy with major stomach pains and his mom trying to sooth him. They had been there for almost an hour.

"Excuse me ma'am. I'm a certified nurse may I check out your boy?" She looked confused but I wanted to make sure his appendix didn't rupture which by the sound of the moaning he may have. She looked confused and a little nervous eying my hair but since they didn't seem to have any sign of being helped soon she didn't resist.

I Crouched on my knees and looked at the boy he was about twelve. "Hey, Buddy. My name is Lucy. Will you lay down for me?" He looked at his mom who nodded. The other patients in the room were staring at me as I hovered over the boy. I placed my good hand just under his rib cage. I knew it would be lower but I wanted to see his tolerance. "What is your name?"

The boy whimpered "Tyler."

"Okay, Tyler's mom. Has he been experiencing anything odd like a fever, vomiting or Diarrhea?"

Tyler looked embarrassed but these were the questions "Yes, he has had all three that started today." Not what I wanted to hear but what can you do?

"Okay, Tyler. I'm not going to press hard anywhere I'm just going to find out exactly where you are hurting."

He nodded. I put a little pressure under the ribs, nothing. I moved the the left side of the abdomen. A little wincing but not much. I put a lot of pressure under the right abdomen. At first it was a little pain but as I let up, he was in so much pain that he started to tear up.

"Ma'am... It seems like he has an inflamed appendix" I looked up at the mom. I will be right back. I will make the doctor see you. She helped up her son as I walked towards the desk. A Nurse sat there typing away at the keyboard not paying me much notice.

"We told you already, you cannot go in to see her if you are not family." -

"No, not that! There is a boy waiting out there with a ruptured appendix and you made him wait out there for an hour without even seeing how serious the situation was. He needs a doctor! "

She didn't change her tone at all. "What is the boy's name?"

I was becoming increasingly angry with this woman. "His name is Tyler and he needs help. I am a registered Nurse. I checked him out myself and he is seriously sick." She ignored me. "I know enough people to ruin the reputation of this hospital if you don't help this boy and he dies."

She stood up. "Are you threatening me. Lucy Jenks. You think I don't remember you from Arkham! You are a nut let out on good behavior. You're the reason I left my last job, you crazy psycho path!"

My face dropped everyone in the room heard and everything went silent including Tyler and his mom. They looked terrified. An ex-nut job was playing nurse on the boy.

I spoke softly. Insulted and embarrassed "I'm not crazy. I don't remember anything. You or what happened or who I used to be. I CAN remember being a nurse at Arkham and becoming a victim of bad circumstances. I'm sorry If I ever hurt you personally." I looked at her name tag "Nurse Ball. But If he dies you may just face a lawsuit." I left the hospital with tears and laughter. I was so upset but I could control it. I just wanted to wait outside for Shannon. I didn't want to be know as something that I don't remember being.

Another six hours passed and it was already really dark. I was eating at the diner across the street, needed a little bit of food for my medicine and greasy burger just sounded nice. My phone vibrated on the counter. It was Harley again. I never did tell her where I was, even though I had taken her car. The night outside was a bit colder than usual. It was close to fall so I guess it was to be expected now. I paid for the meal and finished up. The phone rang again. I decided to answer Harley this time.

"Look, I'm sorry for taking your car."

"Excuse me? Lucy, this is Doctor Edmond. I wanted to let you know that Shannon is doing very well. She delivered a healthy baby boy at 7:13 pm and requests that you come visit to see him."

It took no time at all before I was back near her room. A doctor with a surgical mask hanging from his neck approached me.

"Are you Lucy?"

"I am she."

He patted my shoulder. "Shannon told me everything that you did for her over her pregnancy. You really are a silent hero."

He was talking past tense so I started to worry a little. "Is she alright?"

"The baby was backwards so If you didn't think to bring her here instead, the complications would have been a little too much for her. She had to have a C-section so she is resting in the recovery room. The baby is being cleaned up, and he is very healthy for a premature birth."

A deep sigh of relief escaped my lips. What a relief to know she and the baby are okay. "May I still go check on her even if she is asleep?"

"Hmm." He adjusted his glasses on his big nose. "Usually only family and the father can go in. But I will make an exception." He opened her door quietly so I could slip in really quickly.

The worst of it is all over. She laid there in her bed with dried sweat sticking her hair to her forehead, with a small smile on her face. She braided her brown hair down the side so that it wouldn't bother her while she rested her head on her pillow. I promised Shannon I would pay for the hospital when it came time and I always stick to my word. I reached my right hand into my pocket where a thick roll of cash was and a wadded envelope. It took a while to find a pen, but I labeled the envelope to Shannon and stuck in her money. I promised I would help this way. It was stolen money but at least it was being put back to good use so I didn't feel dirty as I placed it on her bedside table .

I left her laying there asleep to wander the halls of the hospital looking for that baby display but with my luck, I just got lost. The halls were so bleak that it was almost painful to go through and impossible to keep track of where you had been. I was out of the maternity ward now and was hopelessly lost. Sick people were being wheeled everywhere. Among them was the mother of Tyler waiting and pacing the floor. We made eye contact for a moment.

"You, you examined my son earlier." She sounded more relieved than angry at looney old me.

"Yes ma'am. When did they finally see you?"

"Immediately after! Thank you so much. The Nurse called the doctor out to see him and they took him in immediately after you made that scene for us. His appendix was inflamed so if you hadn't said anything, his condition could have gotten more serious."

I smiled, at the end of the day everything had turned out for the best. It made me think that for every mean person, like the nurse, there was another that was actually nice.

I left the hospital with almost a skip in my step because I felt like all my efforts meant something today. I hummed along with the engine of the car, stopping for every stop sign and light like a decent citizen of Gotham. There didn't seem to be anyone back at the warehouse. The van was gone and all the lights were off. I turned off the engine of the convertible and walked inside. My sling had my arm bouncing into my side. Honestly I hadn't really thought about my arm but it was sore as could be. Perhaps some pills when I get back to my room.

Entering the warehouse was bleak and blank with a musty hint of blood. I guess that's what happens when I know Harley isn't here. I started to think about how many people must have been executed in this building. 'No no, I can't think like that about the place I live in.'

At least the Joker wasn't there either, now I can at least get a moment of peace. I walked through the big open room where two chained Hyenas slept soundly. My footsteps creaked as I went up the rusty metal staircase but they didn't stir. My room was so dark but the light switch was on my bad left side and i just felt like getting into a sleeping mood. I didn't realize just how tired I was until now.

Reaching back with my right hand, I managed to snap off my bra. 'Ahhh release.' The sling made removing the most irksome article of clothing impossible, but it was way past time to redress my wound so I guess i could take it off and do what needed to be done.

The light in the bathroom hurt my head. It had one of those UV lights that almost had a sickly white glow and pulses so that your eyes can adjust. But it had water and held most of my medicines so it worked. I pulled off the gauze and some of the dried fluid had sealed its way to some of the wrap. It made it more painful to take off but it needed cleaning and a change of gauze to avoid infection. I hissed as I removed the last bit. "Alrighty, worst part is done." I examined the damage, fortunately, it wasn't too deep mostly the bullet just skimmed my arm. In fact I probably don't need the sling if I just keep the arm out of harms way. Mostly I wear things like that just so people know not to mess with it more than anything and I didn't need to move my arm incase of muscle damage. I fastened on new gauze dressed in my purple night slip and decided to turn in for the night. I stumbled back into my bed exactly how I left it this morning in all of its comfort and glory. It was so nice to slip my head back on the pillows that I could feel myself falling into a deep sleep already.

The pressure on my bed shifted as I rose a little bit, not by my doing. I turned my head.

"Shh, shh, shh, shh." A large hand quickly covered my mouth muffling my gasps as I made eye contact. It was him, in his clown makeup and all. "Now, young lady, you broke your curfew and daddy is disappointed."

He just sat there next to me with his legs stretched out along the bed and hand over my mouth. "Now where did you scamper off to?" he let his hand off my mouth but still continued to look down at my terrified self.

"One of my patients had an emergency and needed me." He crossed his arms and puffed some air into his own face. He looked as if he was both amused and a bit disgusted by my reason.

He rolled his eyes "Really kiddo?"

"Yeah, yeah, thats just it. A kid. who had a kid" I sat up to his level. I didn't like being under his gaze. "What do you want, Mister?"

He licked his lips and said in his deep, raspy, nasally voice. "Oh, no, no, no Its not what I want." He smacked his lips together and took my hands into one of his big ones. "It's what you want... It has come to be that time where you work your magic." He placed my scalpel in my hand and curled my fingers around the handle. "Your wand my dear."

I could hear my phone going off loudly from the pocket of my discarded pants. Looking at the clothing I felt a lot more self conscious of my appearance. Especially as I watched him go through the pockets and answer my cell phone.

"Well Hello." He joined me back on the bed swinging an arm around me. I struggled to get out of his grip, but the more I did the more he pulled me closer to his gasoline smelling coat. 'I hope my bed doesn't take on his scent... I'll never sleep again'.

"Who am I?" He changed his voice so slightly. "Why, I am the man in bed with her." Just as he started to laugh, I yanked the Phone from his face.

"Hello? Sorry about my friend." I could hear coughing from an older man.

"Never mind that, is this Lucy?" He sounded peeved.

"I am she." The Joker rested his hands behind his head and closed his eyes wearing a smile. I stuck my tongue at him to which he just batted his hand as if to shoo me off. How he caught me, I don't know

"We have a problem here. There was trouble with a capitol T and I got some boys here hurting real bad. Get over here and patch em' up. You will get paid handsomely." Since my money was already blown on Shannon, I decided that I better take the job. That and I recognized the voice as belonging to Dino McCowel. The old mobster had many connections and could make people disappear over night.

"Yes, sir. I will be there soon." I hung up the phone and buried my face into my pillow just to kiss it good bye. " Oh Joker, I am so sleepy, what on earth did you do to these people that is making me leave my bed?"

"Now, I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise for you my dear." I could feel weight shift right next to me as he sat closer this time. "After all..." I gasped as he lifted my top over the back of my head exposing my back and panties. "Don't you want to remember this story all by your self?" I laid there frozen in fear as I felt the scars on his cheek rub against the grisly one down my spine. His breath felt like a weight against my skin and made me feel like I wanted to throw up. I sat up against his weight, pulling my slip down. "Excuse me, I have work to be done." I could feel the slip stick to my back where a bit of his face paint had rubbed off.

I grabbed another pair of jeans from my dresser and decided it would be good enough to put on my bra again and a light jacket (Mostly, I just wanted to put more clothes on with the Joker around instead of remove any.) I zipped up my Jacket eyeing the clown as he walked towards me.

"What a shame it is that you have to go so soon. We could have had so much fun together." He laughed his same airy laughter. "Oh, and don't forget to put on your best listening ears for uncle Joker. You never know what little secrets fly when people are so close to hopping over the edge." He past me and walked right out the door. I waited a few moments so that when I left I didn't run into him. Unfortunately, since I was short for time, I ran into a very Frantic Harley Quinn.

She Tackled me into a huge hug making me loose my footing. She stood holding me like a rag doll "You! Don't you do that again! I was worried sick, ya hear. Even Mista' Jay went out lookin for ya!"

"I'm so sorry Harlz. One of my patients was having her baby today and I needed to be there. Thats why it took so long." She let me go and I could feel air returning to my body. "I hate to do this to you Harley, But the Joker needs me to run a special nurse errand for him and I really can't refuse."

She blinked a few times trying to let it set in. "Fine. You look so sleepy though so make it fast and come home to your family okay?"


	4. Temper

"God I'm going to kill that clown!" Tyson, the swarthy stocky man hissed as I cleaned out his wounds. There were six other mob men that needed me But I had already treated all but one other. Apparently most of them were killed in the Joker's game. Dino McCowel Stood looking out of his grand window at the city, scowling. It was a scowl to match mine as the mobster moved, opening up his wound. I was covered in blood. With out even trying to be. Very few people helped when I need restraint for several of my patients so I had to get down and dirty on gushing wounds. "Gahhh!"

"Calm down. If you hold still it wouldn't hurt as much." I pressed the sanitized cloth hard against his wound. Once I stop the bleeding I can put stitches on him and move on. The men in the fancy room were all discussing what had happened. From what I have pieced together, The Joker set up explosives in a hotel room where they were all making an illegal trade deal and set it loose on them.

"He just danced around and laughed. Sick bastard." Jason spat at the thought of remembering the scene. He was a young tall man with a muscular build and slicked back blond hair. He suffered severe burns to the neck and shoulder, a dislocated wrist and a deep cut down the side of his face. Status, Treated. "I Swear, I will fill his belly with bullets. Maybe he'll laugh at that."

Another man interjected who was also treated with burns, bruises, a slight fracture and cuts. "I say we burn him to a crisp." To which several of the men (all that were still able to talk agreed.

I Finished the patient I was working on and went over to Alexander. The Last man of the night, with shaggy brown hair and the least serious injuries. I looked around the large room with a beaming golden golden chandelier illuminating the blood stains on the floor. The people that made it were going to be okay but they just sat around moping and licking their wounds like animals. It disgusted me for some reason.

Alexander spoke, "I say we snuff him out like the rat he is-."

"You're right... Drown him out." Dino McCowell's scowl turned into a look of contemplation. "We should be abel to, and I think I know how to do it." He stopped mid-sentence to meet my stare. "When you're done here, leave."

I started wrapping Alexander's leg thinking to my self about wether or not the man intended to pay me but it didn't sound like it.

"Yes sir. I'll be out of your hair soon enough." I tightened the gauze and got out the medicine for all of the patients, Basic pain killers and sanitizing cream.

Dino took my arm roughly. To escort me out.

"Ow. owie, AHHHHHH!" Stinging pain shout up my arm as tears streamed into my eyes and laughter escaped my mouth. "St- Stop it. Hehehe Let go!" He did and looked at me like I was fragile. I pulled off half of the jacket to show him my arm. "I got shot. Hehehe." We were out of the main room and in the Hallway by the front door.

"Stop laughing, I just need you to get out." He opened the big front door but I didn't move.

"Sir, I don't mean to be rude, but you owe me for the time, treatment and inconvenience."

He stood defiantly. "How about, you skid-addle now, and I wont call Dr. Hugo Strange back at Arkham to take you back. Okay Doll."

"Doll?" This guy was blackmailing me for work. After all I had ever done for him this was the thanks I get! "Listen here! I am not leaving until you pay me for my work! I Gatta live and I can't go wasting my supplies on people that won't even pay for that. It isn't cheap incase you haven't noticed."

He leaned down and got in my face. "That's not my problem. You are a Loon with a few skills that were needed. Why should a crazy gal like you get paid like sane folk like me."

It was an accident! I didn't mean to loose my temper. I came to my senses after the damage was done, when I was staring at two deep long gashes in an X shape made by my scalpel in the head of . The Tip of the blade was broken in his wound right in the center where I plunged. He screamed as I ran. He wasn't going to die but he would be scared for life. I ran like a mad man, laughing in complete shock and hysteria.

I could hear the men that were able to chase run after me, firing bullets. If they were well, I probably wouldn't have made it. But yhey weren't well at all, most of them fumbled to walk little less shoot and so I was abel to get away smoothly minus the new bumper holes.

I stumbled into the warehouse slamming the door open. They keys that were supposed to fall on the counter fell abruptly to the floor making a clinging sound that woke the Hyenas. The Sun was rising and I could pass out from exhaustion things were dancing in my vision. Colors, lights voices all around me. Laughing. Mocking me. I swung the Handel of my broken blade at the voices.

"Leave me alone, I screamed. I'll kill you! I'll kill you." I could see the Hyenas walking around me.

"Come here babies. Protect me!" I laid on the ground as the covered me in their fur. I clutched it, They were so warm and seemed to cloud the voices. I reached into my little medicine bag where my medicine was. It was hard to think during one of my episodes, but I took my medicine. The creatures laughing was the only noise after a little while. It was so lovely that all I could do was smile. The licked the blood off me. It wasn't long before I blacked out. Falling asleep to a deeper more sinister laughter.

I was woken up by the sting of cold water on my face. My body lurched at the shock. Instinctively going for the door, my hands and forehead pressed against the glass. He was sitting on the toilet. Not in a bad way, the seat cover was down but I could see the black spaces of his eye makeup looking at my direction.

"Seem's like you had a grand old time." His tongue danced behind his lips. "Harley won't like that her car's got some new holes in it. What did you do? Did ya' forget to smile. Cuz' people now a days trust a smile." He laughed. Of course he would.

I sat there in my night slip and pants watching the crusty blood become fluid again and run off into pink pools around me. I saw the sliding door open on the far side.

"Move over, I'm joining you. Taking face to face is so much more personal than through a wall. What do you think Doll Face?"

The now warm water flattened my hair to my face and blurred my vision as I looked at him. We were facing each other and I could make out that red painted smile. Eerie.

"Its not my own blood this time though. Thats good right."

"Little miracles everyday." He slapped his hands on his bent knees. "So did you find any goodies?"

I pulled my hair out of my eyes and moved my face out of the stream of water. "Oh, you should have seen them Joker they were outright horrible! They were ungrateful brutes that ripped me off of my pay. By the way, they want to kill you too, just like a rat." His laughter echoed more in the shower. "A rat, come on now. I worked so hard to get more respect than rat level. At least a dog, or maybe even a brat. Well now, kids these days, don't appreciate the little things in life, like fireworks and what not."

He took my hand. "Well I thank you for checking on them for me. I was worried sick." I could tell he was just wanting to see that he got under their skin. Just messing around as part of his sick game of having people know his deeds so that he can savor all the little details. He started to rub all the blood off of my arm. The water wet his hair and cause his makeup to start to smear and bleed down his face. It made him look more sinister but I chose to let him work. He pushed his wet hair back and aside, and took a rag to my cheek where a bit of Dino's blood came back and splattered.

"Messy girl. So I know blood, uh, and knives. And I recognize-" he pointed circles around my face. "All of this. Tell me a story of how you got face painted."

I sighed and started to work on scrubbing the blood off my stomach that had soaked through my clothes from where I threw my self on one of the men's wounds to keep him still and stop the bleeding. "Well, I'm tired, as you know. I have been working hard with nothing to show for it other than blood stains and bags under my eyes."

The Joker attempted a sarcastically serious face. "Why that is terrible, just terrible."

"So, the man that hired me. Dino, the one you had a conversation with on the phone. Gets all huffy at you saying he is going to smoke you out of your hiding spot and kill you. Anyway, so the guy tells me to leave when I am done and doesn't even pay me."

"Oh how rude." The Joker had finished scrubbing me down and sat back up to listen to the rest of my story.

"I took my scalpel carved and 'X' into his face." I started to think about the consequences of my action. The man knew my name and face and he would tell the cops to take me back the the nut house. "Thanks for the bath, but I am going back to bed now." I stood up to leave but he stopped me.

"You missed a spot." He spun me around and lifted the wet slip off my back . "Ah ha, here it is." His hands rubbed off the makeup smear and turned off the water.

"Now, you may go."

I punched him back into the wall, hard. He gasped as he impacted "Stop teasing me! I can't stand it."

"Ho ho ho, a little fight in you... I like that." I ran out pulling my slip down. I was in his room. It was neat and orderly with purple and green decor. Not what I expected. The color yes, but not the state it was in. I went to the door but it was locked. "Damn it!" I was more disappointed in myself for not seeing that coming than I was that I couldn't get out.

I heard the sink water running and the splashing of water on skin. He was washing his face. I wanted to see him without makeup. I was too curious not to.

There he was with his wet green hair and tanned skin. Parts were stained from constant use of make up but he looked more human. Except for those eyes. Those deadly eyes of a monster.

"Like what you see?" he faced me. I could see the grizzly scars cut across his face making a smile and one on his bottom lip. "You know, If you wear make up you really have to focus on cleaning out the pores. Not healthy to clog em' up." He licked his lips. I hated to think this way, but without the makeup, when you could forget how insane he was. He was actually quite handsome. 'No, Stop it Lucy.' He went for the medicine cabinet that held makeup, hair wax. He started to reapply his white face and brought back to life the Joker Persona identity.

I had watched him the whole time put his face back on. Shivering in my own coldness. I was so tired I just wanted to sleep.

"Will you please open up the door so I can go back to my room." He came back out rubbing his hands together.

"Gladly." He took the key out of his pants pockets and undid the lock. "How about a good night kiss from your old pal Joker. Hahahahaha." I stormed past him and left him laughing in the background.


	5. If you lie down with dogs

Two months had gone by since that night and I had been well rested from laying low. Harley had taught me a few things about gymnastics and being flexible. I had done a few jobs nursing here and there and finally saved up money for an Obsidian knife. I know I could have saved up money for something else, but it was so beautiful and tempting with its bone handle that I couldn't refuse and now I take it with me everywhere. That and now Doll Face and Lucy weren't using the same tool.

"Look at cha, almost in a full split now!" Harley was hanging upside down on a beam looking at me doing stretch warmups. We were at our favorite abandoned construction site for staying in shape. Gatta keep up our figures some how.

"A little progress every day." It's true though I have made a bunch of progress. I even took up Parkour as a hobby. Nothing too fancy just the art of getting from point A to point B. But I figured with the Joker playing games with the batman lately, I should at least have the skill to get away.

Its just like my daddy used to say. 'If you are being chased by a bear, its not bout being the fastest, you just can't be the slowest.' I completely warmed up and wrapped my hands and fingers in tape to work out a bit. By the way, my arm had scabbed over so nicely, no infections, minimal scaring all things considered and no pain. I was back in business! I jumped up to a pull up bar so I could meet Harley. "Bout ready to go cupcake!" I slid on my mask. It had a few more cracks now from use but It was me and I loved it.

"Sure thing, Doll Face!" She put on her Jester cap and mask and she was ready to go.

"Yahoo!" I jumped from the top of the construction site to roof of another store. Harley followed behind me jumping and laughing, her satchel flapping behind her. We scaled walls together, Climbed over roof tops. Heck one poor sap left there window open so I took the Liberty to travel through the house. The woman screamed when she saw me but hey it was a short cut and "oooo, I thought I smelled cookies." I grabbed a chocolate chip cookie off the plate where three children stood stunned and continued to run out the other window. I heard her calling for the cops and I smirked "Boo- Yah" The best part about going from roof top to roof top is that it takes others longer to get there than you. Harley and I approached our destination fast. Mostly because We hitched a ride on top of a heavy load truck to the down town. The city was so beautiful this time of night. I looked around awestruck as we whizzed past the city, bright lights of all colors with a crisp fall air.

"Ain't it beautiful Harlz?"

"Sure is Doll Face." She sat next to me and waited for our stop, It was coming soon. "Here we go!" Harley and I grabbed hands and jumped once the light turned red.

We approached a large warehouse like building. It reminded me of home except this was only one story of goodies where I believed home had four.

I inhaled sharply "Ahhh, I love the smell of Pawn Shops in the evening." I had scouted out spots where the cameras were earlier. Actually, when I bought the knife. oh happy days, I'm getting my money back. I reached into my pocket and found a device that the Joker had invented. He is so brilliant. The little black box disturbs electric frequencies in wiring by creating an alternate flow outlet that it would allow us to cut the power without triggering any alarms. Cameras would still work but, hey I had the face for the cameras. They love me. Heck this mask has seen many Gotham news articles. I was practically a celebrity.

Harley and I broke the glass door and where an alarm should have gone off, there was dead silence. I followed the wires to where the alarm system was and smashed it with a baseball bat that was near by.

"Lets, have at it Doll Face." Harley broke into a case taking Jewels and all sorts of shiny things. I decided to go past the toys and electronics for the locked away weapons. No problem. Harley had taught me how to pick locks, this one was a pain... Actually, it was a real pain. I walked back to the main room where an axe was behind glass. Now glass I could do! It shattered as I took my prize and went back for the door. To my luck it was just treated wood.

Bang! The door splintered a bit. Bang! Bits of wood started to rip off. Bang! There was now a little hole Bang! I swung with greater force and left a big gap in the wood. I Stuck my face through.

"Here's Johnny!" I reached my hand through the door and un locked it and too everything that would fit. there were even collectables and explosives. My bag was huge and stretched out. No room for anything else... Except... There was such a cute dress on display. It was a small too. My size so it must have been meant to be. It was a short purple dress with a cleavage window and sleeves. A must have in my bag. There was even a similar black and red one for Harley.

"Harley, we gatta go now." I took pistol bullets and loaded one of the guns I took since it now no longer had room. The bullet was a blank but other people wouldn't know that.

"Hold on, tootsie, I'm not done!" She swung a hammer she found at the cash register that just refused to open without electricity. "Why don't you give me a hand here?"

I tried to get angry for her. Just to think of a time where I was afraid or ticked off. I decided to think of my old Buddy Dino McCowell who had me as a wanted criminal because he lost an eye while scamming me out of work and pay. He ruined me.

Rage and POW The cash register blew open. The tray fell on the ground with all the money still neatly packed in. There wasn't nearly as much as we thought.

"Of course!" I ran to the office building where the owner worked. "Harley stay out. This place about to BLOW!" I had a rage moment of just wanting to fight. I found that was just as effective as fear or anger. The room spun like a tornado, ripping things off the wall exposing its secretes. Behind the large painting in the back was a safe. I focused completely on the door which ripped off in a crunch. There were so many gems and jewels and just cash laying about.

"Jack- pot! Looks like mama gets a new car. Harley jumped on the vault and poured her treasure into the bag. "NOWWW we can leave." The lights turned on and a second alarm kicked in.

I looked at Harley. "Back up generator and a second alarm system for the most valuable stuff."

"Uh-ha." She was a bit speechless.

"Run."

We bolted through the doors and hit the back alley. I knew there would be no cameras here so I took off my mask and made room for it in a pouch. Harley looked over and questioned me. "What do you think you're doing?" I pulled behind the dumpster and removed my new trademark jacket. It looked like an eerie double layered jacket that gave it the appearance of a ghost or phantom. Light at the arms but completely concealed the identity of the body or head.

"They're looking for crooks. Not two city girls trying to catch a taxi. I held out the dress to her.

"You are a genius!" We both stripped out of our persona's and put on the disguises. "Zip me up, would ya?" I was in my dress now and helped Harley into hers. What a Great fit! she removed enough make up to make it seem like she was just dolled up instead of a clown girl.

We walked down the side of the road. Our costumes stuffed into the sacks. I began to remove the tape from my hand since I wouldn't need it to cover my prints anymore as Harley started to wave down taxis. I waited in the alley watching her show some leg to get the attention of a driver.

"Hey there handsome, You wouldn't mind showing two ladies a good time around the city, would you?" she was good at getting results. He was as good as putty in her hands. She got in the car as I loaded the sacks into the back. He was so distracted by her, he thought it was just a suitcase.

I took my seat next to her as four police cars screamed by. "Good timing." I whispered.

"So, where can I take you two ladies?" He was a greasy man who clearly didn't get much action as I could tell from his box of tissues and a playboy magazine that he kept in the seat next to him. What a pig. But I will play along.

I purred "Take us all the way..." I paused my sentences for a very long time to leave him on edge. "To 1289 Grand Oak park." That was Dino's address, but I was about to set a trail on him so it needed to be done.

"Sure thing little miss."

The Ride was enjoyable to say the least. Harley and I had convinced him that we were Lesbian lovers with a bisexual curiosity, and wanted to experience a threesome horribly. We went so far as to kiss each other on the cheek and look into each others eyes. Because he got into a wreck before we got there we didn't have to pay. Stupid fool was so distracted and we were so far away from the crime scene now no one would catch us tonight. That and the Joker probably was keeping Batman entertained by bringing in the new fall with a bit of chaos by attaching a bomb to one of the floats in the the fall festival. He had heard that there were no fire works, and a bunch of Doctors from Arkham were going to be there with their children, so he couldn't have no fireworks. I watched him leave in an Ice-cream truck with an animal mask and a tar-baby- bomb in a wheel chair. Either way. I hope he enjoyed himself.

"Babies! We're home!" Harley threw open the front door and put her bags on the ground. I did the same, panting a little from the walk home.

The Hyenas we so excited to see us. As she played I went to the kitchen.

"Wowie, Thats a shiner! What happened to you?"

The Joker sat at the table with a cold steak held over his eye. I got a peek at the black and blue bump before he covered it up again. (It was difficult to see past most of the makeup.)

He sat there in a swivel chair, laughing a little bit as if remembering little details of the night. I noticed blood running down his tan arm since his jacket was off and his sleeves were slightly rolled up. He was messed up bad.

"Why, hello beautiful." He tried to play coy, pushing his hair around and licking his lips. "Did you get all dolled up, uh, just to play nurse with little old me?" I rolled my eyes at his flirtatious tone. I knew he meant nothing. "...Because I can think of several places that you should... hssss... look at." his hand trailed towards his inner thigh and I blushed realizing that my eyes had followed.

'Smack!' I could feel something cold, slimy and wet hit my face. "Get your head out of the gutter!" He laughed as I stood there removing the steak from my face. Looks like the babies get a snack today, but first Joker time.

I walked over and pat his shoulder "You wait here. I'll get my things."

"Oh, wouldn't plan on going anywhere without you sweetheart." He spun in circles in a sinister playful manner. That swivel chair was going to make for a difficult checkup.

Harley was on all fours playing with her Hyenas, she was barking and laughing with them and it was adorable.

"Hey Jinxie! Join us, we're having so much fun, aren't we babies?"

I waved her off, "I can't. Love to but Joker may need me tonight."

Her eyes widened. "Whats wrong with Mista' J!" Before I could say a word she jumped up and ran to the kitchen.

I had a new full sized safe in my room. It was a nice gun safe loaded with necessities, my favorite being a purse size pistol that shot big sized bullets. I called it fun-sized. No I have not killed a soul since that night at the bank, but working with the Joker meant safety first. My mind went back to that night. It still haunted me a little bit. That was not my style, killing people. Harley could do it for the Joker and he just did it for the fun. But not me. I grabbed my bag and made sure that I had plenty of tools to get the job done. What ever it was.

Back in the kitchen, Harley was clinging to the good arm of the Joker almost crying for him. "Lucy! Someone got him! This is all Batman's fault! He's the reason someone shot puddin!"

"Alright Mister J. I'm going to need you to remove your shirt for me." I set my bag on the table taking out gauze, tweezers, sterilization whips, rubbing alcohol, obsidian scalpels, numbing cream and a capped, premade syringe of good hospital grade pain killing juice. I would probably need it.

Harley helped the Joker remove his shirt from his wounded arm. He looked at her with a bit of annoyance furrowing one brow but let her, since the task proved to be a bit of a struggle. I hated to stare but he was tanned and toned. You wouldn't believe it behind all of the makeup and purple suits but hey, he was full of surprises.

"Shotgun wound, far range?" It was more of a statement than a question he had about 9 pellets from his shoulder to his elbow.

He looked up at me "Want to guess how happened now?"

"Sure, I'll play." I was whipping down a spot clean on his arm to prick him with the needle. There were no exit wounds for the pellets so tonight was going to rough for the clown. "So you and your bomb baby with you merry gang of men decided to go to the Fall Festival. Batman found your invitation to meet up and gladly joined you." I injected him with the big needle. He didn't flench. He is good with pain. "By the way this will kill the pain but make you dizzy."

"Goodie." He smiled.

"Back to my story."

"Which is spot on so far."

I began to sterilize the wounds. " So you and Batman were having your dance, which I can tell from the bump on your eye, when all of a sudden of of your men decided to help out. The idiot had a shot gun and shot the bat, who was wearing armor, and you were exposed." I Got out my tweezers and a little miners light headband. It was strong and just what I needed. I began to work on the first hole pulling away some flesh to get to the bullet. It was deep.

He made a deep long "ohhhh" Sound and rolled his eyes to the top of his head as best he could. It was painful for him."

"You are really good at this. Now guess which locations the victim is at." He cackled like a hyena to cover his pain. Harley held his other hand, squeezing hard. Tears were in her eyes.

The bloody pellet fell on the floor with a ping. I began to wash out the wound which was bleeding a lot more now. Fortunately it clotted much faster and the bleeding stopped. I gave it two stitches to make up for the fact that I stretched the entry mark.

"Minimal scarring, if everything goes like this." I put numbing cream on the new stitches and started to work again. The more I worked the more the medicine did. He was loopier than ever and more tired. He laid his head on Harley's lap.

"You ever Dance with the Devil in the pale moon light?"

Harley's eyes blinked at him as I dropped the fifth pellet on the ground

"Ummm, no I haven't Puddin'. Why?"

He Chuckled. "I just like the way it sounds."

I didn't like getting distracted, but I have not had something to drink in so long that my throat was getting scratchy. "Harley, would you be a doll and fix me some water?"

She looked between me and the Joker. She didn't want to leave his side but helped me anyway.

"Sure thing."

the stitches in the 5th bullet hole were about finished.

"Umm, Jinxie. The water won't turn on."

I slumped my head. "Did we forget to pay the bills."

The Joker chimed in. "Nope we didn't forget." He was really calm about this. Normally he would blow up at me or Harley.

My tweezers squeezed out the 6th bullet. "Then why is it off?"

"See, I chose not to pay it." He pointed at the two of us. "You ladies will thank me soon enough." He put his head back down on the table motioning for Harley to be his pillow again.

The pellet removal process was about finished. " What do you mean."

"You will see." he chuckled

The whole process was about an hour and a half because the bullets weren't so deep. What the Joker had said troubled me the whole time. 'Why would I thank him for turning off the water, when I was so darn thirsty?'

He was resting and I was at the closest gas station stocking up of soda, water and whatever else I thought we could drink for, God only knows how long. It wasn't too crowded here, but it had a bit of a line since the place was known for the cheapest gas. I waited behind a group of kids buying candy crap and just couldn't seem to make up their minds. Probably on a ride to vactioning. Sometimes it would be easier to just walk out the door, but I knew better than that. Finally my time had come. The cashier was greasy with a pepperoni complexion.

"Good evening. is this all for you?"

I started to count the money not looking for small talk. "Nah, I'm here for friends too."

He rung up each bottle putting it in a bag. "You know, I really like you're hair. Blue is too cool! I wanted to dye my hair but mom said no."

I looked at him, he had to be at least in his twenties. 'Thanks... How old are you?"

He handed me the bag and I put exact change on the counter. "36."

Jeez! He was 12 years older than me. "Good bye sir."

"Come again"

I mumbled under my breath "creep."

Harley came up to me when I got home. I had killed a huge bottle of water and was on another.

"Umm... Jinx." Her voice was very quiet. It was her bad news voice.

"What's the matter?" she handed me my cell phone.

"It's your girl Shannon..." My eyes widened. She was my friend and I didn't want anything bad happening to her or her baby boy.

"Is she alright? I'm going to see her."

Harley didn't stop me, in fact she gave me the keys to get me going. Whats Wrong!


	6. You get up with fleas

****** Hello again. Just wanted to give a warning that this has a bit of suggestive Harley X Joker part as well as language and violence. It is long but enjoy*** **

"Shannon!" I kicked her door open to see most of the lights on. Her room was bright but It felt so cold. I could hear weeping coming from the bedroom. It grew louder as I approached it. "Shannon?"

"I-I Don't... Know w-what happened." I could hear a voice choke out between gasps of crying. The door knob turned and there she was holding a little baby boy. Still and lifeless.

I clutched my hear as painful tears filled my eyes. "What happened?"

She clutched her baby tighter. "I don't know... I was feeding him his bottle and-" She wept into my shoulder. Unfortunately I was more intent on examining the bottle. I grabbed the half full glass and took it with me.

"You're not in trouble. Call the police, tell them what happened and get an autopsy. " I was in professional mode right now. It's what she need not what she wants. "Shannon", I hugged her tightly, looking down at the body. It showed all signs of poisoning so there is no doubt to me that this needed someone being held accountable.

"Joker." I let go of her to leave. "Mind If I borrow this?" Horse reigns, They were there from her lessons in the past but I had use of them now.

"Just take it!" She placed her baby in the crib and called the cops.

"Someone will answer for this!"

"Wake up!" Cold Icy water landed on the clown stirring him from his sleep.

"Don't you know to let sleeping dogs lay." He was furious and tried to go back to sleep so I grabbed his arm and brought my knife to the stitches.

"What did you do to the water?" I pressed the tip in to which he hissed.

"Me!? I did... Nothing! That Mobster, the one you put an X on, Now he! He, is the one that poisoned the entire system. You know me Doll face, Where is the humor in that?" Its true. His crimes always had a punchline, this one wasn't his style.

"I am so sorry." I took the horse reigns off the side of the bed and loaded my car battery, jumper cables, handcuffs and videocamera all in my backpack. The Joker stared at my collection in both confusion and amazement. "You want to go on a field trip?"

Honestly, I never saw myself enjoying a private trip with the Joker, but this felt right. He was too curious not to come with me and I needed his help. My Target was Dino McCowell and he had no Idea what horror waited outside of his bedroom window.

The Balcony air was crisp as The Joker helped he into the building.

"You may not be excited here but I am just dying to see what you do." The Joker was completely on board when I told him that I planned to commit my first act of murder. He killed many people, he deserved it!

There he was, laying in a full king sized bed all by himself. I knew he was alone tonight so it was perfect. I quietly got out the handcuffs and the jumper cables.

He was one of those that slept in military pose in be so this would be so easy. The first task. Restrain the victim. It was harder with gloves on, but it was easier to be quiet. Step two. put him out! I mounted behind him and started to slip the cables around his neck. I stopped to give the Joker a thumbs up before I constricted.

"AGHhhhhh" He struggled immediately, only to be stopped by the cuffs.

"Shhh, I am squeezing your carotid artery, cutting off blood flow to the brain. You will be unconscious in 10 seconds." He was out like a light. "Alrighty then, Joker, I need your help again."

He got the feet as I drug the rest of Dino's fat self to the bathroom. The tricky part was getting him into the tub but we managed.

Now prep work. "Watch me as I go!" The Joker stood back, amused by my set up. I had a full car battery sitting on the floor near bathtub. Dino was now wearing the bit and reigns on his face as the bit looked like it was gagging him. Hand cuffs bound his wrist together and Metal Piano wire was was wrapped around his chest region, arms and legs, all connected to hopefully do what needed to be done. Water was filling in the tub fast as the sound of a typewriter filled my ears. It clicked and clacked leaving fresh ink pressed on the pages. It smelt of satisfaction.

"My dear family, I have done something horrible to a lot of good people and I now pay for it with every moment I am awake. I take my life, not for selfish reasons, but because it is what I deserve. I give my final good bye to all. Dino McCowell." I spoke my words out loud. I was getting the Jokers nodding approval with every word. I wanted to make this look like a suicide so no investigations.

"See now that..." The Joker ripped my paper out of the old typewriter. "This is beautiful work." He went over and grabbed a pen from inside a dresser and gave it to me. "This I leave to you."

I Saluted him and started to head towards the bathroom. I could hear mumbling, meaning 'showtime.'

"Hello, Dino!" His eyes were wide in shock and terror. Nope, my mistake, he was just pissed. He was able to speak into the bit not well, but I could hear a little. It sounded like. 'You bitch what the hell are you doing.' I stood next to him as he splashed around attempting to free himself of the bonds. A look of complete discomfort came across his face. The Piano wire cut him as he struggled. He eventually stopped squirming. I put a new tape into the old camera and turned it on to face him. "Good evening, the date is October 16th and we are at the luxurious home of Dino McCowell, The cheapskate with more money than brains. Say Hi Dino!" I removed the bit piece from his mouth so he could speak.

"What the Hell is this? I will kill you!"

"No, you will answer my questions." I reached around for the pen and paper and held it next to him. "First sign this." Dino rolled his head to see it, but could barely make out the words without glasses. He began to really struggle but was cut worse in the process.

"You're crazy if you think i'm going to sign this." He spat on my face. I was calm but I knew my next move of action. With full force I pushed his face under the water. He splashed around like a trapped fish for a good 45 seconds before I let him back up for air.

"Baby steps then sir. Joker, I am in need of your assistance." He came sauntering in from the other room wearing a big old grin looking down at the man.

"Hi."

I put the camera into his hands. "Film us please. But get my good side." He pointed the lens right at the man whose eyes were filled with so much terror, he looked like he was going to cry. "Okay Dino, I need you to help me out here." I could see him trembling from the ripples in the water. "Were you in charge of dumping poison into the water system?"

He sat there silently for a moment. "If I tell you will you let me go?"

I pondered this for a moment. "You know what. I will release you if you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God." He seemed to relax. "First sign this and we will begin." His hands fumbled to the edge where he barely had enough hand room to scribble his signature. It was wet but I put it on the counter.

"Alright, so back to my first question."

"I was. I didn't do it personally. It was Doctor Malone from Arkham that came up with the toxin and saw that it got to its spot. I didn't actually do it."

"Interesting. Are you aware that it killed a lot of people one of which was a baby that was only two months and failed to kill the Joker?" I gestured my hand back at the clown who was starting to hold back a little laughter at my show.

Dino's lip was quivering, "If I could take it back, I would, but I can't. I'm sorry"

"Hahahaha" I laughed "No, you're sorry I caught you!" I got in his face, pushing the bit into his mouth. Terror filled his face. "I said I would release you." I took both the jumper cables and attached them to the battery. "And I think you'll find that death can be the sweetest release. It is after all, Life's biggest Joke." I pulled his shirt back to expose the area around the left arm pit. "Normal circumstances, car batteries won't kill people. Only 12 volts. But you sir, have a pace maker and are soaked in a bath, decorated with metal. Goodnight Dino."

Spark flew for a moment when metal touched both sides of the bit. first there was screaming. The bit kept him from biting his tongue but then there was silence. I quickly backed away knocking the Joker back with me into the master bedroom. Quickly pulling the door shut and locking it, I sighed with relief that bad people got what they deserved. I could feel myself slipping out of reality. I should feel bad, but I felt justified. No remorse. Suddenly I was made aware of the Jokers Presence behind me. He used one hand to stroke through my blue hair that was now fading horridly and the other to dangle the tape in front of my face.

"This may be one of my favorite movies. I think, I have perfectly captured the essence of you." I could feel his jaw move on the top of my head. I reached my hand up to the tape and clutched it. My other hand snaked up to touch his scars.

"You have not seen anything yet."

That night I had my worst nightmare yet. There was a horrible monster. It walked through clouded black hallways, grinning in the darkness. Its white smile stood out against the blackness of its silhouette. Others were around, behind bars. Not for anything wrong but for protection from the beast. It walked straight and with purpose looking down on people merely to frighten them. One person shrieked in pain. Apparently this beast only look at you to hurt you. Horrifying. But the thing that scared me the most...

It was me.

"Good Morning Jinxie!" Harley jumped on my bed sending me bouncing into the air a couple of inches with every hop.

"Ahh! Morning Harley!"

"So how about you and I get some pampering done today?" Her big grin suggested that she already planned this instead of actually wanting my input.

"Sure, sounds swell!" I smiled squeakily. I was actually feeling well rested from the night before and was looking forward to the day with Harley.

She waited for me downstairs while I dressed, though it would have been a huge help if she had an input on what I should wear, but she wanted to spend the morning with the Joker before we left. My closet was filled with dark colors, Its odd actually because I love colors and earth tones but I guess just usually wind up buying the dark stuff in the end. What a shame because I really felt like color today. Oh well 'Se La Vi' I can make do with what I have. I started to zip up my purple pants. I had them way before I even knew who the Joker was so I felt that I could still wear them without seeming to emulate him. Black shoes would go with this and my 1920's looking heels were perfect. Shirt was more difficult to find. I ran around in my bra, pants and heels on the search for a complete outfit. "Ah Ha!" The missing piece was in my drawer a black tank top with an oversized lime green over shirt. It looked great! Slinging my brown purse over my shoulder, I walked out ready to face the day with Harley. She was down stairs wearing a short red dress with black lace running down the sleeves, a white scarf hung around her neck. That combined with her red shoes and black diamond leggings she was a stylish tribute to her old look.

"Ready to go Lucy Lu?" She jingled her car keys in the air.

"Sweetie, I'm always ready for good girl time."

The mall was packed today, it was a Friday night but this was still a little weird. Who knows, maybe I just wasn't used to big crowds anymore. That was probably it.

"Hey, Jinx, come try this on!" The blonde girl spun around in a cute little black dress with long sheer sleeves.

"Yes, that is our new line evening wear cocktail dress. I have one myself and I love it, I can wear it anywhere." She was a persistent woman with a tight bun and a look that said, I won't take no.

"Sure." I smiled. The dress was really cute and I could always use it. For something, parties, dress up or heck, funerals.

Harley put the dress in my arms. "I'm going to try on stuff to so we can check each other out." She started pulling off dresses from the wall. Red ones with lace, black with sequence, nude colors, whites, she was just ready to shop.

The lady helped me into the dressing room and closed the curtain. I could hear Harley in the distance over all the background noises of the mall. She was putting on clothes and throwing them off like nobody's business. "Jinxie! I'm looking for something for J, you gotta tell me what he would like!" I was zipping up the dress and buttoning the one button at the top. It left an oval hole at the shoulder blades and it was so cute. Checking myself out, it looked fantastic. I looked fantastic. The dress made me look so effeminately thin and curved in the right ways. There was material bunched at the waste to give it a a ripple effect that gave the simple dress more dimension. I couldn't help but smile at how I looked.

"Okay Harley, show me what you got!" The curtains flapped as we pushed it aside. She looked like a bomb shell. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail and she was in a little red dress that had a collar fit with rind stones all on it. More rind stones went around her waist forming an hourglass figure and it was so pretty.

"You look fabulous!"

Harley gasped and covered her mouth.

"Look at chu'" she drug me to the mirror so I could look at myself again. "You look like a million bucks."

My grin stretched ear to ear"I am getting this dress."

The lady helping me was behind me "It is $190, but it is completely worth it." A bit steep but it was worth it! "Perfect."

She rang me up quickly and put a big plastic bag around the dress. I caught Harley leaving the store after she finished trying on her clothes, no doubt she wasn't empty handed but she must have brought a lot in just to make it seem like she was actually interested in the clothes and that the ladies would loose track of what they had. I handed the woman cash for the dress it wound up being $207.10 because of the 9% sales and it was killing me. I hate taxes. I don't mind paying taxes to help schools because I rather not be bringing up dumb people but overall taxes are yucky.

The lady waved me goodbye as I met harley by the door. She flashed me a quirky grin and the bottom of the red dress in her purse before she quickly hid it again.

"Hahaha, Oh Harley, what ever am I going to do with you?"

"Love me, Come on, Time to get our hair done.

She was not a natural blonde so her roots were grown out about as bad as mine. It was time for a hair day.

The tin foil crumpled in my ears as the lady applied the color to the bits of hair trapped in between it. I decided to go to black hair with teal trim. I promise, It looks better than it sounds. It felt nice just to have another normal day with my best friend.

She was cracking jokes with the lady doing her hair, and it was such a wonderful time.

"So Lucy, are you ready to see how it looks cut, dried and colored?" Savannah was the name of the lady doing my hair. We were close to the same age, but I think I am older.

"Yes ma'am I am." She brought me over to the cool thing that helps set in the hair dye that I always thought belonged on a space ship. The magazines were few and far between. The one I was reading was more about the news and of course had a few pages featuring the Batman. It would probably be soon when we finally met. Except I would be Doll Face... and I really don't want to be beaten up by the masked vigilante. The Article talked about the illusive man accompanied by blurred pictures in the night that was supposed to be him. I guess If i squint and turn my head like this... Yeah, he is there. Barely. The Article had parts about the Scarecrow and Razalgul from prior years, Mob busts from all over, and the Joker's first real appearance that led to the reopening of Arkham, and my own beginning. I was able to read all of the horrors of what had happened before I was working in Gotham. I heard when It was all happening but I was finishing up school and applying for internships. I guess I was just distracted to notice the real severity of the situation. Though It got me thinking. It's not the Joker's corruption, It's the corruption of a whole city that allows this much crime to survive. If Harley and I can survive in a private career of jewel thieving and and what not then anyone could. Which is what it looks like people are coming to. I looked at Harley to see what she was reading. It was one of those weird magazines with the title on '51 best sex tricks' on page 24 my eyes glanced to my left to see what she was reading. The far page was twenty three so, yeah she was reading up on tricks. I didn't want to think about her and the Joker. Not at all!

...Actually I didn't want to think about the Joker with anyone. I tried to make sense of that but I couldn't. Maybe it was disgust. I started to feel sick to my stomach. I think it was...

"Jealousy, turning saints into the sea" The song hit me as it went over the speakers, apparently music had been playing the whole time

"Ohh Jinx, I love this song." She stood up and started to jump around singing and dancing in the salon. "I'm coming out of my cageAnd I've been doing just fine Gotta gotta be down, Because I want it all. It started out with a kiss, How did it end up like this? It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss Now I'm falling asleep And she's calling a cab While he's having a smoke And she's taking a drag Now they're going to bed And my stomach is sick And it's all in my head But she's touching his-chestNow, he takes off her dress Now, letting me go." She grabbed my hands and pulled my up to dance and sing with her. Crazy girl, but its fun! Cause I just can't look its killing me And taking control Jealousy, turning saints into the sea Swimming through sick lullabies Choking on your alibis But it's just the price I pay Destiny is calling me Open up my eager eyes 'Cause I'm Mr Brightside!"

We ended the song out of breath and laughing in our chairs. We had the eyes of everyone in the salon. Some were filming with their phones and others were singing with us. It was a good time. Savannah came back to let out my hair and cut it.

"What do you want me to do today?" she brushed it out so that it was wet and flat.

"lets see, How about a cleaner inverted bob where it is really short in the back and longer in the front." I twisted my head side to side to get a good look at what I had. The blue came out looking more electric than I thought, but it was wonderful. I could hear the the scissors clip away near my neck and after about 30minutes of snipping and talking about how I wanted my part on the left side and I wanted to see so no bangs completely ver my eye.

Savannah was on to the blow dryer and I was smiling as the air blew my hair all around. This was a great Idea, I felt wonderful!

"Ooh I like this look!"

Harley and I splurged that day. we got makeup done which came with buying 50$ worth of products. I loved nude color makeup. For me makeup wasn't meant to plaster the face to make you think people were beautiful, like a mask. It was supposed to highlight what was already there. My face looked beautiful, slender and bright which was a cute contrast to my hair. I bought bright colors this time around and I am not disappointed one bit. I felt like a real girl again, especially since I noticed that I had the attention of a lot of young men. This was the best day I have had in a long time.

"Mista J we are home." Harley threw her bags and stuffed purse to the floor so she could throw her arms around the Joker. I kept my head down as I walked through the door.

"Welcome back, pumpkin." He was feeling affectionate to day as he let her hug him. I took the opportunity to make a break for the room. I didn't want to watch that in fear that my feelings would come back. The jealous ones. 'When did it start?' It was such a recent thing but I could put a day or a situation to it.

I laid my bags and myself on my bed in a face plant. At least it wasn't love. I put the word to it and it was control. I wanted control, an he was an unstoppable force.

"I am going to play with the babies!" I muffled into my pillow smacking it with both hands. Just as I clicked the door open, I noticed a bit of gold hair sliding into the Joker's room before the door was slammed again. I stood there blinking at the implication, laughing a bit too myself nervously like one would when they cannot un-see something.

"Never mind time to slaughter a hog to get this out of my head." I went creaking down the stair as I could hear thumping and mad laughter. The fridge was filled with a whole section of raw meat for the hyenas and since I was feeling generous, I grabbed two think helpings for them. The meat felt bloody and cold between my fingers as its juices fell to the floor at both sides. I was leaving quite the trail to find me, how nice. With every step I took my vision shifted. The open spaced room around me became more closed. Narrow, Like a hallway. Metal bars rose up on both sides. Black shadows that never formed solid shape stood there looking at me. I waved the raw meat at them. I have come to accept when I was having an attack and this was a bad one. It felt eerily familiar though. Like I was traveling through a dream. The smell of rot and despair filled my nose as I walked deeper in. I could hear the hyenas laughing in the distance but I wanted to ride out this vision as long as I could. There were guards passing me eyeing me down, but went on their way. "This isn't real." I trained myself to say this when the visions were feeling too close to home. I know these halls. I walked them before. This was Arkham Asylum. Patient numbers lit up on the door frame. Then there was mine. Inmate 054671 Name: Lucy Jenks. I put my face to the door, there were two people. One male and one female clinging to each other violently. I couldn't tell where one started and the other began. I felt a massive pain on my left hand and then the other. The pain drug me to the floor as I screamed. But before I went down I caught a glimpse of the face of one of the figures. The makeup was unmistakeable.

"AHHHH" I screamed rolling around on the floor fighting the beast with my hand in its mouth. Wait the meat. I threw it across the room and both of them left. I sobbed on the ground at my bloody hands. "AHHHH" My fear increased as they came back. I could feel the ground break around me and the walls started to crumble. The beast licked my hands and face laughing at me! The liked that I was in pain!

"It's not real!" I screamed "None of this!" my medicine was in my room. That thought came back to me as I made my way up the stairs. They twisted with every step I took. I was upside down and there was mud dripping everywhere. It splashed me in the face as i continued on. My bed was nails. "NO!" I threw it with my mind smashing it into several piece. I found the purse. It was the head of Dino McCowell. I reached into his mouth and pulled out everything. there were no pulls. I fumbled into the bathroom. "What are you looking at?" I screeched at the monster staring at me. It shattered and one of the pieces of the creature sliced my cheek. "DAMN IT!" The pills were in the cavity of where it once was. I swallowed what I needed, no more. and crawled into the shower, turning on the water. It was just water thank God. I cried. Just cried crouched up with my knees in my chest. I was there for about an hour when I head knocking at the door.

"Jinxie, Open up! What the hell just happened?" It was Harley.

She clicked the door open and stepped through.

"Go away." I held up my hand to push her away and away she went. Flying through the air screaming she fell to the floor in my bed room. I watched her get up before I used the same force to close and lock the door. I was still a bit stirred and manic from before, she didn't need to be near me. Tears fell down my face, but I had no expression. The water was cold. I thought about my hair to get the situation off of my mind. 'at least the cold water will help the color settle.' I chuckled a bit to myself. The best I could come up with was hair. I turned the water off and stood, dripping wet in my clothes. My makeup was running down my face or at least what was on it, and I may or may not have ruined my favorite shoes. "Crap." Crunch. The maybe broken shoes broke another piece of glass from the shattered mirror. The monster looking at me was really me. I touched my cheek and it stung. There was a pretty deep cut bleeding profusely. It was low enough that if it had connected to my lip, it would be like the Joker's. But mine wasn't going to scar. My hands had a few bite marks from the babies because I was walking around, not giving them the food. It wasn't too bad since I gave up the meat but it was still bleeding a bit because I struggled. This was awful but at least no scaring. I opened the door. Harley had left I don't blame her, I needed to apologize. I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. A piece of paper with a kiss on it. "No hard feelings, Feel better soon Lucy." I read the words out loud and smiled. She understands me. The bed room was a wreck. The bed was pulverized and its wooden frame shattered across leaving dust and debris from most of the damaged wall. I was able to pull off the mattress so I could sleep somewhere tonight, but this was going to be some work. I removed my shoes and put them in the closet, hopefully I could get them dry. "Jezz." The door was completely gone. from my room, and I could see out into the main area. the foundation was cracked but It would live. Guy in clown gear were fixing up the building, sweeping up dust and removing scraps. The Ladder was barely intact, it twisted around itself and crumpled. I must have actually been upside down and just luckily stumbled onto the ledge. The mud was make believe and thank goodness because I want none of that in my hair. There was a rope ladder that went from the second floor to the base and was apparently going to make do. I started to make my way down to help when less than half way I lost my footing. I desperately groped in front of me but was short of the rope by a few inches. "HELPP!" I screamed as I fell. This was going to hurt. There was a crunching sound as I made impact but not from me. A clown had thrown himself between me and the floor. He groaned in agony pushing me off. The others stopped what they were doing to stare.

"The Hell?" they were whispering amongst each other.

"Did you see that?"

"If I didn't see it, I wouldn't believe it."

"I don't even know if I believe it and I did see it."

I stumbled and stood up in a circle of the guys. They started to back away. "See what?"

"Hah, 'see what' she says. As if you didn't just do something to yank him across the room so you could use his ass as a cushion." A few of the guys helped their fallen friend, he grumbled, "My ribs..."

Honestly I didn't even believe that it had happened. Most of them just kept their distance. "Babies! I am so sorry." Both Hyenas came up to me nuzzling my legs and laughing. They weren't scared of me. "You still love me don't you!" I sat at their level and played with their soft fur. They laughed so sweetly.

"Bud, Lou. Come here." Their tails went between their legs as they obeyed the voice. "Lucy, you too." I felt like if I had a tail it would be between my legs too. I was ashamed, and the Joker didn't sound amused.

He crossed his arms and looked town at me, his tongue was poking at the side of his mouth.

"You know, when most people want company they just say so." I sagged my head down. I was in trouble. "No no no no, I'm not mad. Just curious." He paused for a moment, "Curious to see, how this." He put his big hand on the top my head and turned it to face the twisted shriveled staircase. Barely hanging on the top by one bolt. "Makes this." It looked like a ball of a DNA strand. "A real work of art, isn't it."

I looked at it. I guess. Harley came back in from outside. The dust on her shirt suggested that she was working to clear out the mess.

"Harley!" I ran out from under the Joker's hand to face her. "I am so, so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you or throw you like a rag doll or break your house or any of that!"

She threw her arms around my head "Hey, forget it, things happen." she was a good friend "You didn't interrupt anything anyway, we were done." . "Go dry off now okay. Don't want you getting sick on me." She pulled out two leashes. "I'm taking the babies out for some air. Catcha in a few." She was humming a little song. Still living in the moment with the Joker.

"Okay, see you soon." It was now just he and I in the room and I felt my nerves on end as he still stood there looking at me.

"You and I have business to discuss." He grabbed my arm and drug me to the table. "Hungry?" He sarcastically pulled out an apple from a basket, and took a big bite out of it.

"So, I've been doing my home work teach, Dr. Malone. I've found him. Weasley little man." He straddled the backwards chair in front of me so that we were face to face.

"Now, I'm and agent of Chaos. I don't have a plan. I just do things. Now if you want me to just 'do things'. You let me know." He took a bite.

I thought about it. "Tempting." I thought about it for a moment.

"Thats the thing about temptation. Its right there for you to reach out your hand and take it. Promising something so sweet in return. Like this apple..." He held the big red side to my face. "Want a bite."

I pulled the fruit to my lips and bit into the flesh. "Lets do this."


	7. Party Crashers

"Why must we be fashionably late? I am Cinderella and I want to go to the ball." I sighed in the passenger's seat of the car a shall over my head and a thick pair of glasses perched on my noes.

The Joker clenched his leather gloves to the steering wheel. "Patience is a virtue... My dear" I was dressed like a young woman in a sweet dress with jacket and scarf. It was still warm from its previous user. The party they were having was at the grand house of Dr. Malone for the workers at Arkham as an after thanksgiving party. I recognized a few ex colleagues as they walked in with their families. What a reunion this will be. The muffled stripped couple were wearing clown masks and nothing but their undergarments. crying with fear trying to hold hands. I threw a blanket over them "I bet they're cold."

"Now remember, your part tonight is Dr .Nancy Baxton. The youngest, nurse on record to go from intern to employee." he licked his lips and pulled up the scarf around his neck to cover his scars a bit. His eyes were still stained black and his skin was still paled by the over use of his look. "And I am your beloved, husband. Now lets practice our lines."

"Lets see, I first introduce my loving and handsome husband and fawn over their home. Oh, Lovely house you have, would you kindly show me around?" He clapped his hands together and put a cut off shotgun down his long jacket. Out the window I saw Dr. Malone and a group of his friends exit out the back door for drinking around a fire pit. Good he won't answer the door and call our bluff.

"Alright, now here... we... go." He opened the door and tucked his green hair into his hat. I had on a full black wig so that I could look more like the nurse. Fortunately we looked similar and unfortunately, thats why she was targeted. From a distance and with the big rimmed glasses I looked like her twin.

The Joker knocked on the double doors. It was only after a few moments that a woman in her forties opened it. The house was bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside. hard to believe. It almost rivaled Wayne Manor. Almost.

"Hello! You must be Mrs. Malone, you are just as pretty as your husband says." I shook her hand "My name is Dr. Nancy Baxton and this is my husband-"

"Harry Baxton." He interjected shaking her hand. She looked at him funny for wearing his scarf so high but I distracted her.

"I love the way you have decorated the place. Harry and I are looking to remodel and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind showing me around?" She bought the flattery.

"Of course, of course." She led the way through a crowd of people. The Joker made his way to the food bar and out of sight when I made it to the main entertaining room.

"This is the living room and dining room. Its effective to use neutral paint colors so you can use bold colors for furniture."

I looked up at the lighting. "And your chandelier is phenomenal. I love the way the light ties everything together." She brought me to the kitchen where I saw the joker smacking on something. We made eye contact and he quickly waved before chasing down a butler with a tray of cheeses.

"The kitchen is brand new, we just had it redone. The granite's name is Blue pearl royal Just in case you were curious and it goes well with gold, don't you think?" She was flaunting quite a bit and i was so distracted that I bumped into someone.

"Oh, my apologies Miss."

He was quite a handsome fellow, with his dark hair, chiseled features and striking white smile.

"Oh, Mrs. Nancy, This is Mr. Wayne. Gotham's very own billionaire who often donates to updating the facilities at Arkham."

"Pleasure to meet you Nancy." He kissed my hand. "I've heard a lot of things about you just from being at the party. Congratulations on being a newly wed."

"Uhhhhh." I was a bit in shock. "Uh, thank you very much." He went on to go back to his dates, I could tell he was getting ancy and didn't want to be there much longer. I just Hope I wasn't as easy to read as he was.

There were so many rooms. I completely underestimated the tour. Honestly I zoned out. At least until three little kids zoomed out in front of me.

"Oh don't mind them. They're staying in the entertainment room with the rest of the kids." Her attention was directed at the young boy of maybe eleven in the small suit. "What are you doing here, I thought your father told you to let the adults have grown up time." His little hands were full of chips.

"I wanted different snacks. You guys have all the good stuff." I watched him and his freckle faced friend disappear behind a door. When they opened it, it erupted with sounds of children and grew dimmer as it closed. 'Bing was his name-oh."

It took a long time but the tour was finally complete and I was outside talking with the Joker linked Arm and arm too look like a couple. We talked out of earshot of the others.

"The Children are in a back room. I wont make much of a fuss to pull out the Malone boy, I know what he looks like. I have a bottle of chloroform and a cloth in my purse so he won't talk for long." He wiggled his arm around my waist and pulled me close. Harley just checked in, She'll be ready in 30 minutes."

I enjoyed this picture so much that it frightened me. I should not enjoy the Joker's company. He was insane. Sometime I could see a human side in private, like this moment but this was not normal.

"Well, since I have time to kill, I am going to be social." I pecked him on the cheek for show, except no one was watching, and turned back to the house. A group of women were all standing around talking and laughing to themselves. I thought this would be a good place to blend.

"And then my husband tells me, the man has somehow so deformed that he really does look like a crocodile."

"They call him, Killer Croc among the inmates."

He was there while I was a worker, so I had memory of him.

The women stopped to look at me. "Hello again Nancy, what stories can you tell us about the Asylum?"

A woman with blonde hair spoke up, "I bet she has crazy stories to tell." I chuckled, mostly because I didn't know what to say.

"I couldn't steel the spot light like this, how about you tell me stories you have heard?"

Mrs. Malone scratched her head. "Did you know that you supposedly work in a jinxed position." My heart skipped a beat because at first I thought she was calling out my identity. Apparently not.

"I had no idea. Tell me more."

She got a look in here eye like she had stuck gossip gold. This woman never wanted to miss a beat in spreading around juicy details.

"We'll you see, the girl that worked in your place before you was a very young spirited girl. What's here name now, Lacy I think."

I wanted her to continue. "I've heard the name Lucy thrown around at the office."

She jumped to continue. "Yes, Lucy, thats it. Oh she was smart and cute as a button. Words from another source. Anyway, on the Day Dr. Harleen Quinzell lost it to break out that murderous maniac, the Joker, something snapped in her too." She pause for dramatic effect. "My husband said she went into such a fit that she shot up the entire building, and all the chaos let the Joker back on the streets."

'That was a lie. I remember firing one shot to break some glass but no one was hurt. I just wanted to set my friend free.' I clenched my fist to calm down. "Go on, I like a good story. What happened after. Did your husband say, what all happened?"

She thought on this for a moment. "He said she stayed in bed most of the time, on heavy sedatives, until she was fit to associate with other inmates. But I think the most scandalous part of all of this is that, she was one of the first ones to try the social test of allowing conjugal visitations to her cell, before they would release her to multiple people." All of the women laughed. This had to be a lie. My life was not a joke or the punch line at some Bitch's dinner party for the wealthy. I was fuming.

"Who was the person, visiting her?"

She blew off my tone of voice to focus on her friends. "No one knows for sure. But My husband, who was in charge of her rehabilitation, said it was the Joker himself." The women roared with laughter and disgust.

I turned around looking at my clock. "Look at the time, I must be off. Lovely chatting with you ladies."

I made it to the bathroom. I just wanted to throw something. I pulled at my hair, stopped and then calmed myself.

"Harley will be here in 10 minutes. Just get this done." I sauntered out of the bathroom and grabbed a slice of cake. It looked so good in all its chocolate raspberry form. Focus.

I went to the children's wing where a few maids were struggling to keep order. I approached one, "Excuse me, I need to speak to the young Malone boy. His mom said he could ave cake as long as he didn't eat it in front of the other kids." She bought it, why wouldn't she.

"Ryan, your mother sent a surprise for you." The same dark hair boy from before came running up.

"Yes!" He beat me out the door and I was right there.

"Hey, Ryan, come with me. She said to eat this in the back so the other kids don't get jealous." I led him to a guest room that she had shown me. It was on the first floor with a big window so I could drag the boy out eventually. "Here you go."

He shoveled down half of it in a few bite, but I was too busy locking the door. Fortunately, they did a wonderful job of keeping out the sound, as I heard from the entertainment room.

"What are you doing, Mom doesn't like it when people lock doors."

I looked at him. "I bet you're tired."

He looked at me as if I was crazy. I'm not. "Why would I be tired?"

I dipped the bottle of chloroform on the cloth. "Bed time."

"Wah-ahhhhh!" I covered his mouth and nose to let him breath in the stuff. After a few moments he was out. I carried his sleeping form over my shoulder. The window was tight and hard to lift but it eventually gave way, letting in the nipping cold fall air.

I was quiet as I directed the boys body out. The Joker opened the door of the car for me as I put him in the side seat. "The Bugger is out like a light. We'll be ready to start soon." I tore off the wig and let my black and electric blue hair free. I replaced the glasses with the doll face mask and went to the back to change out of the clothes. Joker was already in his complete outfit and I could tell he just changed from the blanket thrown over the other two people now, no longer talking. They weren't dead just knocked out.

The look I was going for was still the oversized hooded coat with the mask to hide who I was. Only one person would know who I was tonight and he was giving his toast as a proper host. I came out and noticed that the mirrors had been adjusted. I stood where the Joker was standing and noticed that you could see everything... "I want to hit him so bad..." I pulled the boy over my shoulder and started walking to the house with my pistol in hand. Joker, leading with a shot gun. The door creaked open and we were not noticed at first. It wasn't until the joker fired his shot gun that people noticed. Many screamed, but none more when the recognized her baby in my arms. She tore through the crowd to get to me but I put the gun to his head and she stopped. Dr. Malone came to the foreground.

"What the hell do you want? Give me back my boys clowns!"

The joker loaded up his shotgun again and walked around to the food again grabbing a drink. "We are tonight's entertainment." He splashed most of the drink into the face of a woman. "Too much make up will make you look like a clown, don't you know that." She screamed as he laughed. I mimed out as If I was laughing still holding the boy and the revolver tightly to his head.

Dr. Malone screamed at us. as his wife cried "This is not a game."- "Not for you its not. You don't play in our league. Just the batman. But how about a deal?" He brought out his knife.

Dr. Malone put up his guard. "If you can kill Doll face to take your boy. I will let you keep him. She will even give you her gun." I flipped the handle around. He took it shocked but pointed the gun to my mask. The Joker continued his speech. "If you can play my game, Its only fair you get a prize after all." I inhaled deeply as hate took over Malone's eyes and. BANG!

The gun went off and a horrible gas came out of the back of the gun. He was corrupt enough to kill someone after all. Malone fell to the ground passed out from the gas which also provided the best cover for our escape. Joker in the confusion shot off two more rounds into the ceiling just to get people to scatter as we drug both Malone boys out the door. Harley was waiting to help with a few men in masks as we all scrambled up the hostages into the trunks of 3 different vehicles.

"I like this game!" The joker said laughing Driving off into the streets.

I kept Harley on the walkie talkie with me as we all took different routes to different locations. I was going to an abandoned stripper's club about an hour away. The kid in the backseat finally woke up and was sobbing uncontrollably. I turned on the radio just to try and drown him out but it didn't work to well. "I want my mommy, I want to go home!" All over my songs. I turned the radio up to the point where he stopped talking just to cover his ears. I sang along with my wask swinging from the rear view mirror inside.

"I'm sick, I think I'm sick. Sometimes I think I get like this." This son by Icon for Hire really fit my mood. I kept finding myself looking over my shoulder in the darkness. Tonight had to be the night I came in contact with the Batman. The thought made me put my mask on. I don't talk with the mask on. I turned the volume down so that I could hear his soft sobs. I reached behind me and patted his head. He responded by biting my! I yanked my hand back and pointed at his reflection like a mother would do when reprimanding their child. It wasn't till then when I caught the second child in the rear view mirror of the open top convertible. Wham! my head went dazed as it was forcibly turned to smack the steering wheel. The car drifted but I managed to hit the brake and put it in park. I opened the door and fumbled to the floor. 'Gah, I'm going to have a bump for a long time.' There he was in black cape and all.

"Gah!" He hoisted me up by the scruff of my neck and jumped to the roof top holding me over the side. I panicked. I don't like this guy. I put my hands up as if to say stop! but he just started to shake me. With one hand still up, I reached for a letter in my pocket. He Shook me violently but I managed to pull out the letter.

"What is this?" His deep voice growled. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I'll make you talk." He threw me over the side. and I screamed bloody murder. I felt something coil around my legs as I was sharply snagged. It felt like my hips would pop. "Okay, I'll talk." He pulled me up and threw off my mask, shattering it.

"No, That was a gift from my mother!"  
"What is this?" he held the note in my hands.

"A clue as to where the other hostages are going. If you take the boy and leave soon you should be able to catch all of them." I poked at the letter, feeling the blood rush to my head. "It should say, add one boy to your inventory as the first line." He took the note and dropped me hard so that I was still upside down. I watched him swoop and take the boy away to Lord knows where. Once the bat was out of sight I started to work at the coil around my leg. "Shit!" It was not going to cut with even obsidian. It was a metal alloy of some sort. 'Time to panic.' I thought which is exactly what I did.

I grew fearful looking at the bonds and right before my eyes the started to unravel and tear apart. I fell hard to the ground but at least I landed on my feet.

The car's keys were still in the ignition and I was ready to go again. Alright now back to what I was doing earlier. I turned the radio back on smiling, hoping that sleeping away in the trunk didn't like this music.


	8. What Now?

The IV bag was squishing in my hand. It was a mix of vitamins, nutrients and a solution of hydrating fluid that is used to sustain patients that usually can't eat. This man though, won't eat. I just need him alive. I wasn't cruel. He had a family so I wasn't going to take his life. But he would still think back on this time and never do anything rash again, like take a payoff to poison the water supply.

Malone was still out cold, strapped down to the old gurney that I found retired from the Gotham Central Hospital. I had repaired it as best as I could and lined it with a rubber water/waste proof mattress just for comfort. The room was prepped with all sorts of air fresheners, like the little trees that hang from the mirrors of cars. I chose to go with the pine scent. Too many clashing smells would just be too overwhelming and pluse, I like the smell of christmas tree. Christmas tree that was all in the walls and the floor boards. For now they weren't covering much, besides the smell of old sweat and booze from the old club below. It used to be a pub and stripper joint before it was shut down due to failed health and safety inspections and competition from the opening of La Cage Gentelmans club not but a few blocks down.

The man moaned as I slid the sanitized needle under his skin and released the constriction allowing the fluid to travel to the vein. It was such a makeshift rig job, held together by a pole and a metal wire cloths hanger. Hey, it worked.

"Wha, what is this? Where the Hell am I? Where is my son?" The man came to fast in comparison to most people that directly breathe in Joker's knock-out gas. He looked at the IV in his arm and panicked. His left hand reached over in a faild attempted to rip it out but his restraints restricted movement. "Bitch. What is this? Let me out!"

I needed to control my eagerness. I wanted to snap back at him. Call him out for being a disgusting dog. "Hello, Dr. Malone. Are you comfortable? You're going to be my guest for a long time." I picked up the old Polaroid camera on the table and readied it.

"That voice. I know you." His voice switched from angry to a bit surprised. I approached him looking through the lens and snapped a picture of his face. "Lucy! My God, I thought you made so much progress. I guess I was wrong."

I shook the ejected picture, the quality was just fine but better keep the picture in shape by letting it be on the table. "Sorry. I'm not an animal that you can observe behind a cage. But this meeting isn't about me." I paced around and pulled off my hood. "You poisoned the water system and a bunch of good people got hurt. I am just seeking justice"

He scoffed. "So you justify this in your mind? It's okay to take someone away from their family. From their kid for your own sick twist of wat is fair?"

I pulled out a marker and wrote 'day one' at the bottom of the picture. "I'm not even going to kill you. Your boy will get his daddy back by New Year's Day. I hoped you enjoyed your feasting because that will be the last of that till then." I turned to the attic ladder to head out. "I have other things to take care of tonight. I'll be back tomorrow sometime." He stirred, making a lot of noise and screamed. "Are you just going to leave me here like this?" I stopped mid step to spin around and face him. "Yes." I climbed down the stairs and slammed the lid of the attic shut. My shoes crunched under some glass and broken wood. I didn't care. I could have been bare foot for what I felt at the moment. It was a fantastic day. I had a marvelous plan and it was all coming together so nicely. I was in control of everything, not even the Batman stopped me. I removed the walkie-talkie from my waist band and spoke into it. "Harley, this is your Lucky Jinx here and and everything is smooth sailing." I waited for a reply and got none. "Harley?" A few minutes passed as I went to the car and nothing. Not even a slight bit of feed back. I drove off a little bit panicked. She was supposed to call back with how she was doing. I was driving to the opposite side of town where her route when a thought crossed my head.

'Batman gets radio was. He has been known to pick up several and follow them to find crooks.' The roof was already down, even though it was a cold night so I took that oppertunity to chuck the radio wave walkie talkie out. I turned the corner to see the street lined with police surrounding the other side. "Shit!" My fingers fumbled to turn off the headlights, as I prayed that no one saw me. I waited in silence for a minute before I backed the vehical up where I came from and parked. It was Time to be stealthy, no slamming doors, or screaming for my friend. Just lay low and wait behind this Trash can to see if you can make anything out. I had jumped from the roof of the car and waited along the road, between a trash can left out for the trash men to take away and a small decorative tree. I could see just fine at the scene but no one would see me easily. Cops were walking around everywhere, most of them held their guns in the ready position and others were just now coming out of hiding. 'Where Harley was supposed to be in all of this?' I leaned my head over to see two strong cops grabbing a Jester girl and wresteling her intp the back of an armored car. She was caught. There was nothing I could do for her at this point hopefully I will be able to go get her another day. "Dammit Harley!" Was I the only one to get away?

I minded my speed and drove back to the warehouse. It was pitch black inside. No one was home. 'This is what lonely is like again.' In the hour I was home, I fed Lou and Bud. We sat there on the ground waiting for anyone. Bud rested his head in my lap while Lou sniffed at my hair. They made sitting around far less lonely. "Come on boys, let's watch some tv." I stood up and walked to the monitor room. Usually the Joker used this room to intimidate people. Catch their last moments on camera before sending the tape into GNN. The TVs here were used to review the film so he could relive the moments but for me, it had cable. I wanted to know what was going on in the world outside so I clicked the power on. The sound beat the picture, as I say down and waited to see what was happening. One of the big Hyenas jumped into my lap and covered the picture. But I was listening while attempting to get past the fur. A very proper articulate female voice was proud to announce the capture of the Arkham escapee Harleen Quinzell and that she would be returned to a cell where her rehabilitation would take place. I threw a roll of film at the television set. How dare Batman turn her in! He was as crazy as anyone at Arkham. Hypocrite. The next news surprised me the most. The screen panned to a picture of the Joker in cuffs being escorted into the back of a car. Since he was considered "Sane" because if the last declaration of Arkham, they were transferring him to Black Gate. The penitentiary that held criminals of the worst kind. The smile burned in my head as they closed in on his face. "I'm done!" I switched off the tv. That's all I needed to see. I got that feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was the feeling of in certainty. Where do I go from here? My best friend and the man that I saw as my boss were both gone. I couldn't risk breaking them out because I had to make a point to the man above the stripper joint. And I still have to afford medicine, and bills and I needed a job. I rested my hands on the head of the beasts "Bud, Lou. What do I do now?"


	9. Let the Cat out of the Bag

Men were cheering and whistling at the new joint La Cage Gentelmens club. Most of them wore the tan line of a wedding band on their left hand, but only the tan line. The only women in here were barely dressed. Demeaning their values to make room for the money to be had. I was one of them. I looked at myself in the reflection of the mirror. I was not Doll Face here, I was just another Persona. That's what they called me. I was supposed to act and be what ever the customer wanted and tonight I was a sexy Santa thing... sort of. Wear any slutty outfit you want like my fishnet, black lacy thong and major Christmas style push up, with a red skirt with white fur-lining and anyone will eat it up. Tonight's theme was "naughty or nice" so most every girl was wearing something like what I had. I was new though. I didn't look as road hard and hung up wet as some of the other strippers, so I was popular. Too popular for my liking. It was mid-December, Christmas Eve In fact now and the place was packed... so much for Christmas spirit and being with family.

"Hey, Persona! Your show starts in five. Time to get back stage."

That was Ryan, he is incharge of making sure girls get from point A to point be. Right now my point be was to preform the singing, dancing show of the evening. I adjusted the auburn haired long wig on my head and slid my feet into little red shoes that pinched the toes. The better to kick them off. I scampered behind the curtain and struck a pose with my arm coiled in my fake hair. My leg pointed outwards, showing off my curvy sides. The music started as the beginning of all I want for Christmas, except it was slowed and more seductive. The mic attached to the side of my face tickled when I smiled but if I didn't smile I'd get in trouble. All the men Hooted at me as the spot light turned on.

"I don't want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need. I don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree." I strutted one foot I front of the other to the end of the cat walk. "I just want you for my own More than you could ever know". I slid down on the pole driving people nuts. I had it with one hand and one long leg being sure to push my bottom in the faces of men shaking their rolls of cash. "Make my wish come true All I want for Christmas is you, yeah." I spun off the pole and got on my spread knees and removed my skirt. Humiliation, that's what it feels like to have people stick money in your panties. I continued my dance and song occasionally turning to upstage (which is actually in the back) to do my routine uninterrupted. It was fun when you forgot where you were and who all you were with and fortunately, this was not one of the joints where the customers could touch you the wrong way. The Security was fantastic. I went down on my back with one leg pointing up to finish. More clapping, snide comments and whistling followed. I picked up my self and my pride from the sweat stained ground.

Backstage, I was met by waves of compliments from my fellow dancers. "You have the sweetest voice Lucy!", "I love the way this outfit looks on you." "You nailed it out there." I thanked all the girls mechanically as I focused on pulling the bills out of every crack I didn't know I had. Not a bad haul tonight. The dressing room was basically a safe haven. It's where most of us waited during the break to count cash, talk and warm up in blankets and robes. There were currently two other girls on break with me. One was a long legged big breasted blonde woman wearing a slutty elf suit named Angel as marked by the tattoo on her lower back. She was nice enough but had a tough girl demeanor that was not very attractive or at least not very lady like. She was speaking first.

"Have any of you had to deal with grubby hands out there. I swear the man stinks more of failure than brandy. Christ what a pig." The other girl chimed in. Her stage name was Blossom and she was sporting a short pink wig with flower clips in it. Her wardrobe was the least costly in fabric with just lacy boy-cut panties and stickers for a bra. She didn't mind now though since she was in her fluffy robe.

"Oh I saw him alright! Copped a field when I walked by! He'll get thrown out soon, I told Rodger to keep an eye on him and Rodge don't mess around." I sipped on my straw in the bottle of water to avoid messing up my lipstick and take a bit of water with my evening dose of medicine.

I sighed "Geeze, you'd think this is the one time of the year where we wouldn't have as many problems. You'd think people would try to clean up their act for the season but no!" I took another big gulp since the medicine dried me out. Daniel, the man in charge of putting a girl with a guy opened our door. It was never a good sign when he did. It meant one of us didn't have a break any more. Which one of us would lose our warm robe though was a question that none of us wanted answered.

"Alright so Lucy, you were requested by name at Table 9 by a well paying gentleman. So time to hop to it."

I grunted under my breath. "Daniel! I just preformed. I am still on break and need time to rest. I'm supposed to go back to work in 25 minutes" I pointed at the clock showing 7:05. "And then I work and then I go home at 10:30."

Daniel held the door open for me. "This guy pays really well, we can't say no. Oh and he wants you to bring him a Burbon and coke from the bar when you show up." The other girls gave my sympathetic smiles as I removed my robe and left for the smoke filled air. Girls were walking around, serving food and drinks to men, hungry in many ways. How did I go from nurse to serving beer as a stripper.

"Hey girl, I thought you were supposed to be on break?" The girl behind the bar scrubbing a cup was looking at me. She was my favorite person here. Her name was Tyra with her stage name being Doe. She was a beautiful black girl with long flowing hair. She was the most expensive girl with a classical beauty. She didn't need to dress badly to be attractive, so she didn't. She was intelligent and down to earth and just bar-tending at the joint to pay bills till she is done getting her master's degree.

"I was on Break but now I have to bring a burbon and coke to a man at table 9." Tyra began to pour the drink for me. "You know, I would demand that they pay if they're going to make you work extra... I'll pour you a virgin stray berry daiquiri for free when you come back." She was wonderful and totally gets people. I don't drink and I love fruity things so her recommendation was perfect for me and made me feel it was kind of worth it to waste my break on the guy. The man sat at the table with his friends around him. He was the only one to wave at me which is why I assume that it's him.

"Lucy, baby! Look at you!" He stood up and held his hands at me as if displaying me for all to see. "I handed him his drink. "Please while we are here call me Persona if you don't mind." He sipped at the drink. "You know, I've been trying to look you up for some time since the let you out of Arkham bit have had no luck. Who would have thought I'd find you here." He finished the drink and sat down motioning me to dance for him. I rolled my eyes and began to slowly move my hips around to the rhythm of the song being sure to bend but not much.

"Who are you, sir?" He slid a 5 in my thong lining suggesting that I move closer. I did but mostly in a position that said 'kiss my ass'. "Come on baby, you don't remember. You and I used to be a thing. We dated when you had your nurse job." I flipped around and sat in his lap.

"I don't remember your face."

"Maybe, you'll remember this." He crashed his face into mine. His lips were soft and yet forceful. I pushed his shoulders roughly back

"Get off!" A part of me felt a sense of Deja vu when kissing him but that was not allowed here in this establishment. Two men were already ripping him out of his chair causing him to drop money on the ground (which I scooped up before anyone could see). The body guard were already throwing out the building for kissing me. Thank goodness. With his money clip secure in my bra I decided to walk back to the bar. It was still my break after all. Tyra saw me coming and brought out my promised drink tipped of with whipped cream.

"Girl, what was that?" I sat at the bar and took a sip of the drink.

"It was just one of the customers getting handsy..."

She puffed a breath full of air into her face. "You're kidding me. This is literally the 5th time, today, that some one has been kicked out for that." I didn't mean to ignore her but I was a bit lost in thought. I thought about Harley and how she was doing back at Arkham. I thought about how I still needed to check on Dr. Christopher Malone who was slowly wasting away. I even thought about the Joker and how he was managing in Black Gate. Probably just fine. My mind lingered on those subjects for the rest of the night. By 10:30 I was loaded in tips and ready for bed. The back room was filled with girls, dressing into normal outfits and transforming into regular Gotham women, myself included. I put the red wig on the head mannequin in front of my station and removed the overly applied make-up from my eyes. It completely brightened my face up to get the goop off. I kept the underwear on and just changed into a long sleeved white shirt, a navy blue wearer and a white fluffy jacket. For pants I wore my long black skinny jeans tucked into high white fluffy, furry boots. My short blue hair didn't cover my neck so I tied a blue scarf, that went down to my legs, around my neck. I would be warm and cozy facing the harsh snowy night. I clutched my purse though I had shoved most of the money in my bra, just out of sheer instinct when I opened the door to the outside.

"Hey girl, watch your back tonight. Mr. Handsey is still there." Tyra had caught up to me shocking me at first but not as much to see that the guy didn't move from when he was kicked out. I pretended I didn't see him, hoping that he didn't know what my real hair color looked like but he approached any way. Tyra waited with me. In her long black tied coat, cute brea, and long white pants. She knew never to leave some one alone to face a man in this setting.

"Lucy, is that you?"

"Go away!"

He held his gloves hands up Defensively. "Look I'm sorry about earlier, can I make up for it with hot coco. I know you hate coffee, and you don't drink alcohol. But you love chocolate."

How did he know details of my life. Maybe I should hear him out. I looked at Tyra. "It'll be alright." She turned to leave but never took her eyes off.

"Fine, I'll go with you. But we're walking there in the street lights." I didn't trust getting into a car with him.

"You hate the cold. Whatever, there's a diner not too far." He turned to walk that way and I followed. He was a handsome man with wavy brown hair and pale skin with handsome chiseled features. I wouldn't have put it past me to be in a relationship with him.

"I'm really sorry to break the news to you. But I have no idea who you are." He sighed heavily, his breath fogging in the air.

"Why don't you remember? I don't understand." He pulled a picture out of his wallet. "I swore I would take this out but I never did. I am Eric Eagles and you are Lucy Jenks." I gasped when I saw the picture of us. I had shoulder length brown hair and I was being carried on the back of the same person holding the photo. We looked so happy.

"I feel like I remember this. But what happened?" He put the picture back.

"You had a career to look forward to and I wanted to continue partying around. You know, normal stuff." He chuckled nervously. "When I saw you in there though, I didn't believe it, but when I threw your name out everyone knew you. So I guess life happens."

The diner smelt of roasting mocha. As I stood outside letting his words sink in. "Life happens." I mouthed out loud. He held the door open for me and I was blasted by a wave of warm toasty air. He smiled at me. "How about you find us a table and I go get drinks. Do you want a cookie or brownie or something?"

"No no. I'm not hungry, just coco." I turned to go get a table as he gave me a thumbs up and got in line. The place felt warm and cozy. It was a good place to think. 'Why can I not remember him?' It was eating away at me because he clearly knew who I was. I tried to remember Eric Eagles, and little pictures flashed in my mind of couple stuff, but no details.

"Alright, here you go." Eric put the drink down in front of me to which I started to gulp it down. Yummy. "Anything ringing a bell?" I sat there in silence.

"I'm so sorry."

He looked defeated "what ever. We told each other to get on with our lives anyway." We sat in an awkward silence for a little while before he spoke up again. "So, are you seeing anyone now?"

I was already almost done with my coco, but what I had in my mouth I practically spit up from shock of the question. "No, but it's for the best right now. I have some things I need to figure out on my own." I stood up ready to go. "Thank you so much for this but have somewhere I need to be tonight."

He grabbed my sleeve. "What happened to you in the Asylum?" He blurted it throughout the diner turning all heads towards us. I jerked my sleeve out of his hand.

"Look some things really are better off forgotten!" I finished the last sip of coco. "And I don't remember that either." He followed me out.

"Hey, what got you put away though. I deserve to know at least that?" I didn't know about that.

"Why do you DESERVE to." He looked at me with concerned eyes.

"Because I want to know if you are sick or crazy."

"Why not both?" He stood silent. We waited outside with the cold air nipping at my skin. "I'm schizophrenic..." I finally resolved to saying. He pulled me into his arms.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry! You needed me!"

I broke out of his grip. "I'm not broken I'm sick! I can lead a normal life no different than anyone else!" I stormed off to go down back to my car. He didn't follow me. Thank goodness. Now back to Business! I entered the old attic where the putrid stink of a forgotten person nearly knocked me off my feet. "Christopher Malone!" I called out "merry Christmas Eve I brought a gift. I figured, 'hey, I can be generous." I draped a bucket and a blanket over my shoulder as I approached the old man. The camera on the table was pointed at his face again. "Click!" I said with the camera flash. The picture of a rotting man came out the bottom. He looked like skin covering bones but he was alive. But most likely hating himself for it. He was rotting. I was literally just keeping him alive to keep him alive. His bed sores were intense and his muscles were atrophying and his mouth was covered in sores. I wrote down "Day 34 at the bottom of the picture. Thanksgiving was really early this year so he had a lot of time just to sit and stay before the new year. I held up his pictures and looked at the gradual change in appearance. Nice. "Okay sir so just for you I am going to clean you and give you a blanket tonight." He was nasty. He was stuck to the bed and so was his business. Tonight was also brutally cold and I didn't want him to die. First things first to give him food. I switched out the emptying IV bag and replaced it with another solution with a little more calorie count so that he can better fight of infection from the bed sores. Once I cleaned his body from the waste I worked on sanitizing all the areas. He was on a rubber mat so it was easier to get the filth off. I was about done so I wrapped his bones in a blanket. He feebly grabbed my wrist when I got close.

"I-I'll kill you..." He gasped out it sounded more like dust leaving a gap. I easily removed his bony fingers and wrapped him up. He would be warm tonight. "I was wrong to let you leave Arkham." He coughed from the cold dry air.

"Are you going to stay silent forever or are you going to talk talk to me Doctor?"

He looked around. "You... Are you going to let me go." I thought for a moment.

"Tell you what. You tell me everything you know, and I will give you back to your family by Christmas Day instead of new years." He laid there quietly for a while so I got up to leave.

"Wait... I'll talk. I'll talk." He was a man on the brink of insanity and death. Despair took over. "You were admitted into my care after you spent months in recovery." I ran over to the table and grabbed the video camera to get this all to see again.

"Was it my back?" I interrupted.

"Yes, you had some spine injury, I'm not sure but it was gruesome... You suffered waking terrors which you took medication for." It was all stuff I knew.

"Okay sir, I really need new stuff not obvious stuff." He coughed violently. "At first you just seemed mad. Not sick, just upset at the world. It wasn't till the Joker arrived that you started to change... You made progress down spiraled and improved dramatically that it scared everyone..." He stopped to cough violently. "Because of your previous career at Arkham, you knew the ropes and how things worked, so much so that you basically ran the place befor the Joker was re-admitted. Once he showed, it was an arms race for dominance..." he had to take a moment to regain strength. "You told me such personal things, how lonely you were, how you would get better if only you had the affection of another person. So we arranged for you to have conjugal visits with your boyfriend, but he refused... So you went for some one else."

I thought about what he had said and asked my question. "Did I ever have Conjugal visits with the Joker?" Malone was quietly catching his breath. "Yes. You did." I felt nauseous. "No, that cannot be true." "You did. At first it was nothing but idle conversation to keep you from being lonely then it grew to being a psychological conditioning, attempting you to face the reason that you blamed for being stuck there... Then from there... The relationship got sexual."

I was going to puke. I ran down stairs and vomited on the floor. No way in hell had I had a sexual relationship with the Joker. I went back up to Christopher Malone, Whipping my mouth in my sleeve. I came back in the room. He had stopped talking to get his energy back and continued when I came back. "Everyone was afraid of you. You could move things with your mind. Even people. Mostly when you were angry... But I can't remember a time when you weren't angry. You had the respect of the other inmates and showed them your scar just to unnerve them... Except the Joker. You were partners in a way. Like husband and wife and Arkham was home sweet home..." He coughed and laughed to mock me before he finally passed out. His chest moved shallowly.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed tearing apart the room Dr. Malone was alright, everything else wasn't. I snatched up all the pictures that I had taken faithfully for 34 days. I looked at the clock as it rang mid night and aimed the camera at my face. The picture came out horridly. My blue hair spun like a whirlpool sticking out in all short directions, my face was sheer fury, with eyes blurred and unfocused. I quickly took out the market and wrote at the bottom 'Day 35'. "Come on Chris. I'm a gal of my word..."


	10. Blackgate Break In

*****~Sorry its been so long. With school being busy I haven't had too much time to write, but this one is long so enjoy :D! Please comment and let me know what you think, It would be really appreciated.~*****

Christopher Malone was strapped to his gurney in the back of the old van The Joker used to use for heists and what not. I had just gotten back from the warehouse to quickly feed the babies and grab my scalpels, pistol and the tape of me killing Dino. I was hell bent on going to the hospital and turning myself in. Any more questions I had needed to be squeezed out of the mouths of the people that locked me up and drove me kookie, and the best way to find them was to be locked away with Harley back at the asylum and drag the Joker back with me.

Christopher groaned in the back as I swerved through the streets. There didn't seem to be a single cop out tonight. Or really anyone for that matter. Can't blame them too much, it's Christmas Eve, or rather Christmas Day. It was still strange. Lights flew by as I went down town. First things first, hospital. I grabbed the hand brake and jerked it up while turning the wheel. It caused the car to spin so suddenly and eventually stop right in front of the building. Nailed it! My seat belt flew off with the click of the side button as I dashed to the back to pull out the emaciated man and his IV drip. People in the hospital screamed at his face when I brought him through. Nurses and everyone on staff dropped why they were doing to help him as I took the opportunity to scram.

Stop two. Turn myself in and plead for mine and Joker's Insanity. Commissioner Gordon's office was about 15 minutes away. But at my speed, I could probably get there in half of that. Seriously where the heck are all the cops tonight? The ride seemed to drag on as the closer I got, the farther it felt till finally, my car was there.

"Gordon! We gatta talk!" I built up too much an entrance as I kicked open the doors. They few off the hinges entirely and across the room just as I had hoped my power would do but no one was there to enjoy it.

"Damn, where is everybody?" I could hear silence except for the faint static of a police radio. Then I heard a voice. So soft I had to focus to hear even as I got close but there was no mistaking it.

"All available units report to black gate prison with caution. Prisoner out break. I repeat, prisoner outbreak, proceed to Black Gate prison with caution." Black Gate was where they put the Joker. He must have turned the whole place on its head. To get through to the heart of it, I would need a disguise. This was my chance to drag us both back. Prove that he is just a method of madness and can't be trusted with inmates.

"The locker rooms!" I snapped my fingers and ran around blindly looking for potential uniforms to wear. Even just enough pieces to get through. The locker rooms were in the back almost completely out of the way and I was having no luck. Ever locker I opened was empty and there was not so much as a hat lying around. I needed at least a badge to get to Black Gate. It was worth a shot. I turned my attention to offices in the area. There was a woman's office with pictures of a young family lying around on the shelves. It also had a lot of dog decorations such as 'I love my Beagle' stickers and statues pinned up on the bulletin board and sitting on the desk. The plaque on the dark wood desk read Brenda Booth. Hopefully Brenda left her badge here. I flipped through all the drawers, turning its contents inside out. Nothing. "Dang it Brenda."

The next office building was next door. It belonged to a Mr. Alexander Ryan and he didn't doll up his room like Brenda. It was plain and drab. Working in here for an honest shift could drive a person to madness. I paid close attention to every drawer and crack for a badge till finally "ah ha!" I had one! Today I would be playing the role of Lucy Jenks, Gotham City Police Officer.

The next part was the fun part. I had already decided it would be as I had opened the garage to the undercover police cars. Which one spoke to me? I paced along looking at the different vehicles ranging in color, make, and model. "Come to mama!" I jumped into one of the small black speed car and revved up the engine "vroom vroom !" I purred with it. The machine was built so wonderfully. The garage door lifted by my command as I sped out, tires screeching as the spun against the pavement, leaving big black rubber marks marking my starting point. With the weather as bad and icy as it was my speed was beyond dangerous. If the city didn't seem to be in a dead sleep due to Christmas, I probably would have had several accidents. Snow was falling again and my windshield wipers worked feverishly to keep it from sticking. I made my way back to my place of work. I needed a disguise and if I couldn't find a real police uniform, odds are a rip off one from the stage would serve its purpose from a distance. Hopefully.

LA Cage was a lot more eerie when no one was around. By this time because of Christmas, everything was cleaned off and dark. It still had a musky scent of beer behind the overwhelming scent of cleaner. I was able to get into the back rooms with my key and there were so many costumes just lying around. In the big closet. It was difficult to tell where one stopped and another started because of all the feathers and sequences. 'No, too much sequence, not even close!' I was tearing through the rack before "AHa!" It was a tear away cop suite kept and refurbished from popular demand. It didn't look sexy, it was just meant to be taken off and it was designed to look like Gotham City police department's.

"You are too perfect!" I threw off my clothes and put on the fake uniform and tucked my blue and black hair into the hat. It was meant for the taller girls so I had to roll the bottoms of the pants up. Though with my luck, it just made the pants seem like they have a more official seam along the bottom. "Now all I have to do is avoid a snag or the whole thing falls off." I had a gun waiting for me in the car and that would complete what I wanted except...

"Damn its cold!" As I ran outside into the snowy night my skin was pinned with pricks from the frosty air. 'I hate the cold!' I threw myself into the cop car and turned on the heat. "Come on baby, take me to Black Gate"

The Prison was surrounded by cop cars, flashing their red and blue lights, reflecting off of the brick building and the dirty snow. The men and women in uniform stood outside of the prison clearly locked out, but I needed to be in and I would get in if it was the last thing that I did. I built up all of the will power I had and opened the door into the cold. "Sweet mama, Its cold!" Before I slammed the door, I tucked the pictures into my shirt and grabbed on to my loaded pistol. The front doors were not an option clearly but I was ready to get down and dirty, a lot more than most of the officers here.

"Its a bit cold out to not have a Jacket." One of the Officers waiting by the side gate called to me. He was a Swarthy skinned man with a kind attitude and a hard working demeanor.

"I thought It was waiting for me in the car. Once I realized it wasn't I was already too far gone to go back.

"Wait right here, I got a spare." The man ran back to his car that was already seemingly buried in snow and pulled out a huge jacket. "It's probably going to eat you alive, but you won't be cold." It pretty much did consume me. It was so large on my form but it did a beautiful job of keeping me comfortable.

"Thank you sir. Any news or progress on entering on Black Gate?" I looked around at how many cops were in the area. All of them. Literally every cop had to be here in the Gotham Area.

"Sorry to say, but we got no progress. Damn clown's have the place locked tight from the inside."

I started to walk backwards, "I am going to look around the area to see if anyone else has things to report on." I turned to leave, loving the new coat addition to my disguise. It made me look the part even more so. I was even receiving nods of approval from the other cops. But their stories were the same as the cop before. No progress. I was walking around the outside and it was obvious that the Joker's mark was all over it. Around the side, there were fewer cops and eventually I could see no body. Just me in the side yard. I was going to search for details here. The building was just a wall here but the floor, There was steam billowing out of a man hole. It was warm air venting out. Odds are it could lead me into the building. I got on my hands and knees and pulled at the man hole covering. They were 80 pounds and really needed a lever of some sort to be opened but I had will power on my side, and a power of something else. A fighting urge grew in me as the lid popped off. It didn't smell I sat on the lid of it and prayed that the fall wasn't much. The fact that it wasn't pitch black gave me hope. Wait a minute. My foot hit a ladder rung. Thank God I didn't jump, I would have felt so stupid.

There were feint lights lining the sewer way. The whole thing seemed to be one large Labyrinth. I feel bad for the people that run maintenance on these parts. Some pipes were broken releasing steam that just added to the rough moisture of the area. People had been down here and their marks were becoming more and more known with the more damage I came across. Starting with the gaping hole going down through the layers of concrete.

"At least its not a dead end." I said to myself as I notice light coming from one of the tunnels. The problem was. That layer had no floor to get to. If I missed I would fall and no doubt break a bone. I had to jump for it. I grabbed on to the side of the broken hole and aligned myself to lunge at the platform opposite side below.

"AHHHH!" I screamed as I let myself fly over the black trench. 'I'm not going to make it!' I thought. I had undershot it too bad. I clenched my eyes shut and gritted my teeth for impact. I landed with a thud, rolling forward with what momentum I had left but far too soon. Yes I was sore, but not Broken. Surely I hadn't hit the ground. I stood up and looked at what had happened. The ledge I wanted to land on had Shot out and made a bridge at my feet. On the other side of me was the necessary depth to break me, but I had made it. Onward I go.

I could hear the roar of water pouring in from the room ahead of me. It was some sort of funnel station. There was a metal bridge over the water but I wasn't too sure it was trust worth, but I can't be too picky at this point. I was too far in with no where else to go. I stepped on the metal mesh bridge and it creaked under my boot. The cold water was making it brittle. Even one of the pipes in the far corner was frozen over. Odds are, there is not the proper heating to keep everything running smoothly.

My suspicions were confirmed when halfway through I heard a large crack. The Bridge lunged down and then stopped. I panicked and ran all the way to the end, jumping to catch the edge before it collapsed below. "Shit!" I crawled up. As much as I hated my scar, what came out of it has been fantastic. Still, I must push forwards. I have to find the Joker and confront him. I followed the tunnel down to another water chamber it had a metal bridge going straight before it met another structure and turned right. This time it was much more shallow and I could see a control room ahead. Maybe there would be a map to see If this lead to the inside of Blackgate. I ran across the first bridge and was halfway across before I stopped in my tracks. I could see shadowy monster clinging to the walls. their teethe dripped venom. Not now! I can't have an attack now! The water flowed like blood and little laughing heads floated along it. I could hear the echo of deep raspy voices up ahead that caused the face in the water to mouth off exactly what I heard. How horrifying.

"You sure the boss wants us to do this?"

"Yeah, He said no one gets in, no one gets out so we flood the water with electricity. Ain't nobody gonna come through this way." I could hear a switch pull as the blood water lit up to a bright crimson and the heads screamed. Their screams echoed and covered mine. My body clenched as the electric shock surged through my feet from the metal bridge. I could barely move. I fell forward and my upper body landed on solid brick. Maybe, I don't know how, but maybe I could re direct the flow. Its what I needed. I could feel the shock coil up my spine and out my hands. My visions got less and less horrifying, until eventually reality was normal. The shock was less and less severe too. I was actually pulling myself out of the electricity, and the frightening images went away even if just for that moment. I stood up shakily as I realized that the electricity had fried the men. The only way to get to them was to jump over the water to where they were but I could do it. I landed on their side safely and examined their corpses. They were wearing inmate uniforms so I was going the right way. The door where they came from opened with ease and lead me to a long straight hallway with no meta; and no water. Thank God, the only thing I could hear was the sound of the turbine from the next room over. I opened the door in front of me only to squeeze it shut just as fast. It was filled with prisoners. I clutched my gun and played with the trigger around my fingers. "Alright Jinx. You've done this before, now do it again. You got the gun they don't. My pistol had 8 shots in it and they got 4 guys." I opened the door quietly again. Took a deep breath and aimed.

Bang

"What, the"

Bang

"I see her!"

Bang

"Wait don't"

Bang

They were down. Two of them weren't dead yet but they probably would be. I scampered into the room and rode the elevator up. In the first floor of black gate, once the doors parted an opened, I could tell this was Joker kingdom. Green and red spray painted decorations littered the floors and walls. Then I heard him. His voice echoed over the intercom. "Hello my fellow, Gothamites, This is Warden Joker speaking wanting to thank each and every one of you for joining me this christmas evening. Now remember we all want different things in our stockings tonight. You want out and what do I want?" I could hear inmates in the room ahead answer.

"The Batman."

Joker laughed. "And how do I want this gift wrapped?"

"Alive!"

He laughed even more as he signed off. Hard to believe though he wants the batman alive was my only thought as I watched a guard pass me with a heavy machine gun. I let out a huge sigh of relief as he walked on by. My gun was not going to help me here, especially with only four shots. I followed behind the man with the gun though I knew I had to be careful because I could hear more in the distance. My hear was pounding in my ears as I tried carefully to sneak around. I just needed to get to the door on the other side. The man turned left I I turned right to go up the ladder to the next level. To my good fortune no one was there to watch me dart to the other side. The Joker's voice rang across the intercom again as I hid behind a tall standing wall. Underneath I could hear hostages crying out but I was not here for them.

"Who wants to sing a Christmas carol? Anybody?" He was loving this. This was his idea of a fun time. I slid down from my level to the one below. The entrance had been covered with mattresses as if it was a room in an insane asylum which is what I believe the Joker was going for. He always did tell me "Don't get even, get mad." and this was the mad he was talking about.

I did not like the room ahead at all. I had made it so far just to be stopped. The prisoners eyed me down and looked at me like a piece of meat. I noticed the cop's corpse strung up like marionette doll and I had a feeling that that is what they wanted with me. One of the prisoner's looked to be injected with a strange venom that seemed to super power his strength. But it was the one with the clown mask that spoke first. "Well well well. Looks like another fly to be caught in our web. Any last words copper?" I looked around the room for anything that I can use or get away with. Maybe I can improvise with the water pipe sticking up to the roof.

"If I told you, I'm a stripper, not a cop would you believe me." They all broke out into fits of laughter.

"Prove it." The clown mask one yelled.

I licked the tip of my gun seductively before I discharged the magazine and let it fall, three little bullets rolled around clanking on the floor. I removed the jacket and threw it at the face of one of the seven men before wrapping my legs around the pipe. I continued to dance seductively before I made a break for the door.

"Hey, Get back here!" They were too late. I slammed and locked the Iron door in their face and walked off like a champion.

"Hehehe. Look at that, Ol' jinx got a few tricks up her sleeve." I turned to leave only to have my face met with the fist of another prisoner in a clown mask. My vision blurred. I realized that I was now looking up at the world from the floor and my body was cold from the concrete ground.

"Lousy cop! I'll kill you." He raised a metal pole over his head to hit me. This guy needs to learn not to hit a lady. He swung but no metal made contact with me. It stayed suspended over his head. "Shit! What the Hell is this." Then the bar quickly swung through his head to land in my hand. His body toppled as he staggered around me and the impact of his bulk hitting my small form knocked my breath out. I struggled as his friends came running up at me.

"Hey! What the hell just happened?" There footsteps were getting closer but my vision just kept getting darker. Damn that hit was good... I was out. Defenseless and out.


	11. Shattered

~~Sorry this took so long. school has left me really busy lately. Anyway, let me know if there are any errors or someting doesn't make sense and I will fix it as best as I can. Enjoy!~~

It was really cold. It felt as if my body was pressed against an ice block and for all I know, it was. I wanted to open my eyes but the ringing in my head was making me too dizzy to function for now. Alright, so first thing first, figure out what my situation is, where I am and what I need to do. I began to feel around with my finger tips, being sure to barely move just incase I was being watched. First thing I noticed was how bitter the cold was on my bare back. I was down to my bra. The next was the nipping cold on my legs. I was down to my underwear. Dammit! Thats what I get for stealing my disguise from my place of work. I fought the overwhelming urge to pull my knees to my chest. Maybe it was still possible that I laid exactly where I had fallen, but that was doubtful so I need to be careful. My eyes were still sealed shut as I focused on hearing what was around me. In the distance, most likely in the next room over, I could hear muffled conversation. None of the voices sounded familiar and there was definitely no Joker. I laid there on the floor a few more moments before I finally built enough will power to open my eyes. The room was dark and bleak and obviously a warden's office.

"Nobody's here". My voice echoed off the walls as my vocal thoughts left my lips. Hmm, That wasn't meant to leave my head. I wrapped my arms tight to my chest to try and keep the cold air off. It wasn't working so well and I had already started to shiver and my teeth chattered together. Man it was so cold! The first thing That needed to be done was escape. Goons waited around with guns just outside the door, which by the way, was the only door in and out of the office. "There's got to be another way out of here." Mumbling to myself sometimes helped me think straight, especially since my head was still a little clouded from earlier. The room was heavily decorated with the Joker's mark. Spray painted words and laughter littered the floor and walls. Streamers clogged the ceiling fan from probably ever moving again and seemed to jet out to the walls like and explosion. There were mattresses lining the lower portions of walls and hung around randomly... and yet they put me on the cold hard ground. 'Jerks'. The only real piece of furniture that even let me know this was the Warden's office was an overly decorated desk with the warden's plaque on it. This was useless. Footsteps tapped outside, approaching closer to the door. "Crap!" Panicking, thats what I was doing. An air-conditioning vent! It was high up but I didn't have time to think too much, I was going for it. My legs took me to the edge of the desk where I started to heave it towards the vent with all my might. It budged and started going farther and farther with every push. Though the desk legs squealed horribly, I could still hear some one shaking a loaded key ring just outside the window. It was taunting, but got me going faster. Thud! The desk edge made contact with the padded wall as I jumped on top to grab for the vent cover. "Come on now!" I reached both hands towards it. "Do something useful for me!" the metal covering crunched and contorted in front of my eyes. I was going to get out. The lock clicked open and the handle turned. "NOPE!" The air vent lid flew into my hands as I threw it at the door. I was just the right size to squeeze my body through the hole. It was smaller than the other ones so the wouldn't follow me. "WAhhhh!" I screamed as my leg jerked back. I lost grip entirely on the vent and smashed face first back onto the desk. I tried to choke back painful tears resulting from the contact my cheek and nose made.

"You go through so much trouble to show to my party and your not even going to stay for the main event?" His laughter rang through out the room in reverberating malice. It was the Joker.

I rubbed my face to try and dull the sting as I could hear him moving around. The first sound was the clack of shoes hitting the floor from the desk and then steps clicked closer and closer until they stopped all together. I slowly fluttered my swollen eyes to see the grim clown face bending down to my level.

"Uh, Morning sunshine." He licked his lips and chuckled in a satisfied devilish way. He was far too happy to see me. My clothes! I jerked my limbs into my body to rest in a fetal position, I felt far to exposed even if no one else was in the room. His ungloved hand ran through my short hair, pulling it back behind my face. "Shh shh shh shh. Do I make you nervous? Is it the scars?" He licked the inside of his mouth so that the scars protruded more. "No no, not for you. See you got scars of your own."

I frowned at him. "Malone told me what happened in Arkham... I know everything." My hand swatted his away. This only seemed to make him had move back behind him ready to strike. Crap. I clenched my eyes for the impact as I heard a loud smack. His hand landed right on the table in front of my face. I thought he would have hit me for sure, his face gave every intention of it.

"Oh do you now. Good, I was getting a little tired of our game of pretend. Tell me, did you miss me when you were looking for yourself? When you found out how we were the same, like I have said all along, did you just let the loony go and get mad. Hahahaha."

I sat up covering my chest, "No, you used me didn't you? I would never betray Harley! I'm not a monster like you, I was a nurse with a career. I had a life and a family I don't see; Mother; Father; Sister. I think I even had a relationship. I had everything! Why would, in my right mind, leave all hope of that for you?" He clenched my jaw in his hand, covering my mouth with his palm.

"Why can't you say it? Look at you." He held up a mirror shard to my face. I looked like a mess. My makeup was running like black stains down my cheeks. My lip was red, bloody and swollen from where I was punched and my hair was a mess. I looked insane.

"Before you go pointing fingers, why don't we just take a moment to admire your own accomplishments. You see people have a funny way of showing their true selves during times of adversity." He circled his finger around his face "See I wear all this so that people can see what is on the inside. You, you are more dangerous because you don't wear your colors, you hide them inside till one day you just can't take it all and you explode. People show who they really are when they are scared. Now lets have a look."

I looked into the reflection of my eyes. They were tired, worn out and sad. 'How long have they been like that'?

"You decided to fix up the slums of gotham so that they could go back to wreaking havoc, my job by the way. Lets see, you found new and creative ways to kill people and then pin the blame on someone else."

I stopped him. "Hold on, I never once planted evidence."

"The horse reigns, loaded with finger prints of another girl who, coincidentally, lost her baby because of certain events. The horese reigns used as a gag on a dead man's body. You gave the cops evidence and motive for Shannon, didn't you scamp? And here I thought you were losing your Arkham touches."

"Liar!" My scream echoed as it came out as a pitiful cry. Tears blurred my vision of the white red and black make up. It couldn't be true.

"a ta-ta-ta-ta. I accept it for how it is. Why can't you see the funny side, why aren't you laughing? By the way, Shannon she was gunned down by the mob before she could make it to join us in Blackgate. Tears poured down my cheek as I sobbed pitifully.

"No, no..."

His hand whipped the tears off but smeared around more makeup. "Shh, I'm not finished yet. Now, You take what you want. Always have. Everyday people don't do that. So Don't pretend you are like the rest of them because you are not. I'm not going to bring up that you decided to become a stripper because hey, lots of girls do it. Most of them just don't do it with your scar. But before I forget, How is Dr. Malone and how many of my guys did you kill getting up here?" He threw the disgusting pictures in my face of the emaciated man but I was so numb I couldn't feel it. "This one is my favorite." He delicately held up the last picture of the bunch where I lost it on camera. I hadn't seen it all this time. I was gone. Absolutely loony as he had said all along. My logic was not at all normal and the absolute worst part was, though I know its not right behavior, I still feel justified that all the things I have done were right. No they were right! How dare he call me out! All those people with the exception of Shannon had what was coming to them, the people that owned the stores robbed people of their money for overpriced good on a daily basis so who cares what I may have done or taken from others.

I reached out and took the picture from him delicately. "I've had better pictures." I quickly tossed it aside and watched it flitter to the ground. Cold shivers ran up my spine as I shook with it. I was not sure if it was due to the cold on my skin or the icy stare he was giving me.

"No no no. This one here, this shows you as I know you to be. What you are." He leaned down and picked up the picture only to slide it into his pocket along with the rest of the photos. My breath escaped in a winded gasp as he face was now just inches from mine. "You wanna know a secret Jinx." He grabbed the side of my face behind my ear. This his iconic pose before he killed someone with his knife. His thumb traced my lip as his smile spread across my face. I was nervous all over and I could feel myself shaking on the desk. "I want to put a smile on that face of yours." His lips crashed hard on mine. It was not a loving gesture at all, it was pure dominance. I tried to scream but his tongue cut me off. I couldn't stand it, I tried to push him away but he just kept pressing against me harder. One giant arm wrapped around my bare waist pulling me tight against the clown. My legs thrashed about helplessly but it did me no good. He was too strong. His fingers ran and tugged at my hair so I tried helplessly gripping and pulling at his greasy hair. He groaned but not in pain... It was worse than that, he liked it. His body pressed hard against mine and pressed me against the cold desk. His hand left my waist and went to remove a strap from my shoulder. I struggled to free myself but everything I tried to do failed miserably he was too big against me. I could feel his makeup smear on my face as his tongue danced on my mouth. A tear ran cold down my face as I resolved to fight back. My body Jerked against his as I immediately started aggressively advancing his attack. My hands gripped his head close to mine as my lips forcefully played with his. He would not get the best of me. It was a back and forth game to figure out who was the better. It sparked back memories in me. Memories of Arkham. Visions flashed back quickly and overwhelmingly. Everything, The bullet through the glass, the experimental shock surgery, the onset of schizophrenia, The long painful recovery period, respect among the inmates, how I was the queen, Joker was there, he and I were a pair together. I found myself smiling as the dance continued. My voice spoke to me in my head. 'Good to be back.'

The Joker had been gone for some time now but I still laid in that room, grinning from ear to ear. I had pulled down one of the mattresses to lay down and just look at the spray painted ceiling "Ha Ha Ha Ha" I read each one out loud to my self as I slid on the orange prison garb left for me and felt a lot more comfort. It was nice to wear clothing again and I looked fabulous in orange. Since the mask broke, I decided to paint one on my face. I didn't want to be the odd man out. Mister Joker had kindly left me some of his make up, powder and paint brushes to which I started painting. The white base was necessary, and then red lips like roses. I based my look off of the mask that batman had broken so in tribute, I drew in cracks. Lines from my eyes that made it look like a little glass chip was missing from my cheek and more around the jaw and one near the fore head. I used heavy black eye liner and purple eyeshadow for the eye detail, the blending was fun and looked beautiful. Almost done here, The final step to my look was the powder. It made the face look less oily and prevented it from bleeding, just like a real doll. 'Perfect!' I saw movement outside the door through the window and decided that I stop and chat. The guy probably wanted my company.

"Hey you!" I got up and ran to open the door. A goon in a clown mask was walking on patrol. He turned his attention to me, his gun still pointed at the floor.

"What do you want?" He wasn't amused.

"I think in my predicament I should have a cigaret or something, can you oblige a lady?"

His hand reached into his pocket and pulled out a small smoking stick. He handed it to me.

"Are you insane, I don't smoke! Hahaha" I slammed the door and flipped back on to the mattress and "Oopse!" I looked down and noticed that the chest part of the jumper was not buttoned. Oh well. My bra was cute. There was a scream in the distance causing the goon outside the door to jump. I could still see his fuzzy silhouette in the door window and he was on edge.

I tapped my foot to a small song I was singing "Though born with wings, it isn't a bird. Blind, it sees by the echoes it heard. In daytime hours, cave's where its at; In dark of night, out comes the bat. Now where is that scary thing at?" The Joker had left to enjoy his big finally with the bat and it sounded like he was near. I needed him to catch me. I remember the reason I decided to venture here to begin with. I needed to be readmitted into Arkham and get to my records. I may remember Joker, but what they did, why, who was involved was still a fuzzy picture. I need revenge. They don't deserve to be alive after what they did to me. I smiled, It felt good to smile and I knew that I needed to keep wearing this face to go back. I sat up and stretched my arms to the sky as my spine popped a little, like it would if you cracked your knuckles. It felt so good. I walked out the door ready for a fight. It was empowering. It felt as though I could move mountains. Maybe I could.

The guy that offered me the cigaret was still where he was, clearly shaken from more sounds of batman getting close. My heart raced with anticipation as it was just the two of us standing in the open room. There was only one entrance and it was just down the hall. Behind us was the door that lead where the Joker was headed so Batman would have to clear a path straight through us.

"You ready, pretty boy?" I grinned at him to which I could hear a scoff muffle out behind the mask. Manners these days. I heard a small creak in the Distance and I knew he was here, my partner, I could tell, missed it entirely because he still let his guard down. Why give guns to people that wont use them. I turned to walk towards the exit door just enough so that I could see batman take down the guard when it happened and I could tell the time was coming. The tile floors were cold against my bare feet and to be honest, with the lights off, everything felt dark and cold. Most of the room was destroyed by jail birds and Joker graffiti except for a few book shelves and potted plants to liven up the area, since prisoners weren't supposed to be in this area. Right now I was just focusing on taking in details to see if something was off "Where are you?"

Woosh! A black figure came hurtling down and knocked the gun right out of the goon's hands. He groaned and I could tell it was a one hit K.O. Yikes. "You've got some muscle on you Batsie!" I flexed my arm and patted it for emphasis. "But I do too." I held out my hand at his head and created force, like my power provide me to. Except. Darn it! Why aren't you moving? He charged me faster and I tried again but nothing. 'Crap!' His hand was drawn back and his whole form seemed to blur as he readied to strike. I need a shield! Anything! The metal grate from the other room rattled behind the closed door. Wham! It was too late to save me from a blow to the gut.

"Offff" The air escaped my lungs in a painful burst and I felt as if I was done. My body collapsed onto the giant black fist of batman as his gruff voice broke through the practical silence.

"Where is he?" it was harsh and loud, thundering against the walls. I couldn't respond. I was simply trying to get my breathing back to pulled back again and caught the collar of my orange jumper before I could hit the ground. His strong arms hoisted me in the air. "Where is h-" Clank!

The metal cover broke the glass window an zoomed right into the head of the Caped Crusader causing him to drop me back to my feet.

"Honestly, I didn't expect that to happen but I am really glad it did." I smiled in a huffy way. It took a few more moments to get back to normal but now I am ready.

Batman picked himself up from the ground, adjusting his jaw and busted lip. "Lucy, you don't have to do this. The Joker has twisted you but it's not too late."

He was lying and I knew it. He would say anything to get me to go back, and I will, but you know I am going in my own damn time not his. "I did all of this with his help, but this is me, not him. Like it or not, I really don't care." I got a better look at batman's face and the blackness seemed to contort. His whole being seemed to fade to deep black. His eyes glowed and intense blue neon and he truly was the bad old bat. He was... horrifying. A little "eep" escaped my lips when he stood up. He was a monster. He took one step closer and I stood my ground. This was another schizophrenic attack.

"I don't want to do this Lucy. I don't need to."

With my hand held out,the vent cover came as my shield. "No, sweetie. You really do."

I threw the vent like a frisbee at his ghoulish face. Damn, miss! 'Come back now.' it flipped like a boomerang and grazed past the bat's cheek. Blood dripped down as the metal made a clinking sound in my hand. His hand had reared back and made solid contact with the grate. It bent and sent me back a foot but I was okay. "Grrrahh!" I swung it at him but he caught it and followed through with a kick. I ducked abandoning my weapon for now. I was in the perfect position for a game of leap frog. So thats what I will do. I sprung up and tagged his helmet to flip behind him. I was wreaking with electrical surges and he had a metal receptor by chance right behind his creepy monster ear. I landed bare footed on the tile as he staggered to get his senses together. My leg came far back as I kicked the back of his skull. It took a jump to make it, but Harley's lessons helped. He staggered more, but I could tell it was more exhaustion from his prior trials.

"I don't have time for this." He pulled out a gun looking thing and pointed it at my face. It was that darn grappling thingy that almost got me last time.

"Eep! No no no no no!" the walls seemed to distort around me and I could hear voices in my head. Old voices saying not nice things.

"Oh, look how easy this was for him." "You are a bad joke. Always have been." "Must have been a sad day for your mother and father when you were born." "Die, Die die." The scared me. There were monsters in my head again making me see and hear things that weren't really there. The problem was, what was real here? The blacked cloaked monster faced me and I had to get around him and flee through the door. I ran at him and dropped to the floor and slid under his legs. He expected me to go up and I could tell from his neck twitch. This let me grab back my rectangle weapon, Hurray! A small victory as I ran towards the door. The handle was covered in bugs and I could tell by the loud crunching noise that that was real. Infact there were bugs everywhere!

"I hate bugs"! But its bugs or bats! I screamed going down the hall as creepy insects of all sizes got in my way and fell on me. If I got to joker, maybe things would get better. I could wrap my body in his scent and forget the world again. At least forget this one. The bat chased me as I cleared a path. If I didn't think he would tie me up in the insects I wouldn't have ran as hard as I was going, but he pursued with the intent of capture.

Electrical wires connected to a tv stuck out. I ran past them and thought of a spiderweb and how I wanted live electrical wires to emulate that image. My hands reached behind me, claw like and swiped the air in a path I wanted the wires to go in. It worked and I had a live web separating me from the bat. Crunch! A huge millepede exploded under my bare foot. "Ew ew ew!" Circus clowns with balloon guns looked at me as if I was crazy, but hey, they're the ones carrying balloon guns. Why was I always being judged by people! I am the victim! Leave them to the bat, on his way.

I could hear the voice of my father ring through my head, It was a voice I thought I had almost forgotten. "Did you forget yourself? Thats not my little girl."

"No! You can't be in my head, its dark in there." A tear dripped down my cheek as I reached the end of the hall way. "J-joker" I gasped I couldn't take anything right now. I wasn't handling this outbreak well at all. Laughter came over me. It was nervous and painful, filled with madness. The room was huge for an execution chamber. He was there in the middle of it all. His purple suite was the only thing I could see with his back facing me. Everything will be better once I am at his side. The thought was ridiculous but I am desperate. The mental strain was becoming too much for my body and I collapsed to my knees. I was so close. So close to give up now. But I can't go on any further. "Joker." it came out in a gasp more than a plea as the light slowly began to fade from the room. Horrid sounds filled my ears, weather they were real or not was still a blur but that would soon be gone and I would find rest.


End file.
